One thing im hoping they show is if the sword blade can be stored in the backpack or not like the MP cause that's a key animation thing

 

Awww man gotta Gundam nerd out here.

Technically Strike Gundam wasn't designed by Okawara. GAT-X105 Strike Gundam was designed by Junichi Akutsu, otherwise known as BEE-CRAFT, a celebrated mecha designer who has also done a lot of design work for Gundam. Okawara was responsible for the "clean-up" work, which is taking the idea and tweaking it for it's final show form.

Nowadays Gundam isn't even designed by a single guy. Lots of mecha designers get in on the action now. The last "regular' Gundam installment, Iron Blooded Orphans, had Kanetake Ebikawa doing principal mecha design for it. Notable mechanical design work he's done was for stuff like Full Metal Panic, Yukikaze, Eureka 7 and Idolmaster: Xenoglossia.

As I said before the idea that "Like a Gundam" is such a irresponsible thing to say.

Gundam doesn't really have a "core" design philosophy. There's thematic elements that carry over from series to series, but for the most part a "Gundam" is really whatever is there for good guy mobile suits...or even bad guy mobile suits.

These MS are ALL called Gundams, despite all of them having all kinds of varied looks, accoutrements, colors, and even shapes.

 

The more I see on this the more excited I get, I really hope we reach all the backer goals

 

Why is the stand a stretch goal?
Why?

 

I'm actually quite confident he'll reach it now. The fact that he's gotten so many backers with only images of the colorless grey prototype alone is very impressive.

I'm hoping that very soon I can pitch in and get mine.

 

Grandpa Gundam RX-78-2 to be exact.

 

Yes they could.

Could they make enough profit back to not get pilloried by their shareholders for blowing a million dollars frivolously?

That's the actual question.

 

The shield on its own would be a very disappointing final tier, while a giant shield is cool in concept, in the end it's a forgettable one scene accessory. An accessory pack to recreate scenes from the anime including the shield, an alternate helmet for when Star Saber isn't in battle up mode, a smaller sword for Saber that can clip on the V-Star as in the transformation sequence and maybe a Jan minifigure would be nice, though.

 

I feel like the third tier is probably quite substantial. At least, compared to the (large, mind, but basic) stand.

The last planned tier (before things went nuts and they added that Doom head that they didn't even have a tier placeholder for) for Galactus was the Morg figure, who had the most new sculpting of the pack-in figures, and seems like a pretty big guy to boot.

Higher tiers is when economics of scale kicks in in the most favourable way, so anything they could possibly add to the deal gets heavily subsidized by the high backer numbers. $20K mold toolings ain't nothing when you've got 20K buyers.

 

That stand has to be working hard. Things got the mass of SkyLynx and a little bit more on it.

Looks good all-in all but I'm not expecting T3 to be anything substantial. I'm assuming it'll be the shield but I'd rather have the Micro Masters.

 

Yeah, just to add on to that, in relationship to my previous post: I'm still not expecting something crazy, like a whole extra Deluxe figure added or something. But something flashier than the stand, nonetheless. Something that looks like it takes effort (not that the stand doesn't take its own degree of effort, just that going by the general reactions, nobody really recognizes it as such).

Going back to something I said way near the beginning of this thread, what we're probably going to be seeing at the top is a full package that actually looks like a $180 package. And not a slightly overcosted $140 retail set. The V-Lock and stand feel (based on no educated reasoning other than my gut) like ~$20-25, so another ~$20 worth of extras to go.

Maybe "Anime AF" bonus pack? Shield, smaller sword for Saber, SUPER OBARI PERSPECTIVE SWORD!!, and maybe extra budget allocated to the V-Lock to give it a giant telescoping barrel? I dunno, maybe I shouldn't speculate, just to not get too attached to an idea and get swerved at the end.

 

The distinctive part of Gundam is the face design with the mouth plate, the jutting chin and the two lines or vents-like thingy.

 

Even that's mutable.

The Zeta lineage does away with the traditional red chin flare. The Zeta, along with the Gundams from S1 of 00, the AGE-2 and AGE-3, and a few others lack the face vents. Nu and Hi-Nu Gundam have three face vent slits. Some variation on the V forehead crest is pretty expected, though. Even then, that can morph into a form more resembling a practical radio antennae, than a purely ornamental crest. And then there's the Turn A Gundam...

 

What I meant in my previous posting is the stereotypical image of a Gundam. Forgot to add that in my post.

 

They look nothing alike. Other than using the same colors.

 

Ah. Fair enough.

 

If they want to do something flashier, this might be where we get Jan, Holi, the Illumina II. I think it's the best we can expect in regards to new figures.

 

Digging the Jet mode myself. Looks more like a Star cruiser.

 

Irresponsible? That would imply consequence for pointing out some rather obvious similarities.

Anyway, even if there is no "core" design philosophy in making a Gundam, there is definitely a throughline between all of those designs, some of which was paralleled and shared in the making of their cousin Star Saber.

I think it looks like a fairly decent stand for something that is a bonus which will be added in and given away for free.

 

I definitely like the combined spaceship mode better than the G1 toy (and the MP + 3P Leo). Because this version of Leo is smaller, instead of being almost Star Saber's size, his booster chunk is able to socket in much more wholly into the gap at the back of the V-Star, and thus the mass looks more integrated, rather than the somewhat awkward "caboose" being dragged behind the V-Star like with the original.