Poll Results, and some musings for 2011

The "What should I build?" poll ended more than a week ago, but holiday laziness got the better of me and didn't really bother for any updates.  It's another year for more builds, more kits and more innovations.  The MAC Forums is a half-year old, with 500 members and still growing.  I thought I've seen everything, but I couldn't be more wrong.  There are plenty of talented modelers out there who turn pieces of plastic to unique works of art, with blood, sweat and tears in the mix.

1:60 Masurao/Susanowo	50 (29%)
1:100 Turn X	7 (4%)
1:100 Gerbera Tetra	18 (10%)
1:60/1:100 Arche Gundam	33 (19%)
1:100 00Q Prototype	45 (26%)
An entirely new design	17 (10%)

Total number of Votes: 170

As it was, the Gerbera Tetra took an early lead, But I'm amazed as to the number of people interested in seeing the prototype version of the 00Q, which didn't appear in the movie at all.  It stayed consistently in the lead halfway through the poll period, and was then overtaken by the Masurao/Susanowo by a small margin.

The thing is, I've been contemplating in building all these from the very beginning, mentioning it a few time to DC23 (who has been pushing and egging me to build more).  This year, I hope to build at least 3, with the Masurao/Susanowo leading the pack.  The 00Q would be the easiest to build, I suppose, because I can simply modify the MG 00Q and probably use parts from the MG Exia and GN-X.  I've checked out the MG 00Q and a bit disappointed with it in terms of detail, so, I might build that much later.

Fast Forward

The Infinity Project.  Like I mentioned in a previous entry, I'm rebooting Project: Infinity (which was also "Trinity"), this time with an MG Exia and two Astraeas.  The original Infinity was supposed to be the 00, but in this redux, I'll be using an MG Exia with a few design elements of the 00 thrown in the mix.  The Infinity is already powerful with a single GN drive, and taking my cue from the movie, will also have the Quantum System as well as Trans-Am.  The difference is, the Infinity will have a backpack mount that makes it capable of using two more GN drives; a Triple Drive, that enables it to use the Quantum System to its maximum potential.  The Infinity can travel a few seconds back through time.

The backpack is an autonomous air support vehicle that is controlled remotely by its pilot.  The drone was built from the remains of the Arios after the ELS war mainly as a support vehicle for the Ptolemy III when the Gundams are deployed.

The 00 Movie

Watching the raw Japanese version of the 00 Movie, I again am at awe with myself as to how similar Halleluja/Allelujah is there to the Story in Infinity.  The two personalities switches back and forth instantaneously as if really conversing, during a battle.  I had that scene in mind in Infinity when Setsuna fights to the death with Allelujah/Halleluja switching back and forth, and ultimate kill each other because Setsuna had no choice.

One gripe I have about it is, the 00Q came in MUCH TOO LATE in the movie, and almost did nothing.  I was looking forward to see it in its melee glory, instead of simply just loitering at the battlefield.  Much worse was the 00, which was equally useless at both times it came out.  But that's the story, I suppose.

The Manticore

By now, most of you are familiar with my penchant for using beings of myth for naming some of my builds.  I'll be "creating" an specific Gundam hybrid, either as a direct antagonist to the Infinity, or something that will just annoy the hell out of Infinity's pilot; fighting her at one time, helping her at another, or simply making its presence known from time to time.  This mystery MS, called the Manticore, visually takes after its golden mythical counterpart.  It's a winged lion with a long GN tail/whip as it's main melee weapon.  For ranged weapons, it only has powerful GN sub machine guns mounted on its arms, and vulcans on its shoulders and head.  This was the "new design" mentioned in the poll.  I already have a rough idea in my head of how it should look like, but I won't be setting it on paper until I've managed the ground work for the Masurao and the Infinity project.

Update:  The Manticore will be piloted by Patrick Colasour.

The Masurao/Susanowo

As the leading poll choice, I'll be starting the year with the Masurao/Susanowo.  I mentioned earlier that I'll be making a hybrid, but it'll be more Susanowo than Masurao (heck the two are the same anyways, with a few cosmetic differences), but I'll be using the Masurao's scheme (I like Red and Black better after all and white is NOT my "lucky" color).  I've managed to procure an HG Trans-Am Susanowo at GT Makati at a very nice discounted price, and I'll be using it as reference for the 1/60 build.  AS usual, I will be adding design elements of mine own, as well as make a few changes to the overall design.

The PG 00

As I have shown in an earlier post, I've modified the PG 00's waist to give it more height and volume and to improve its overall proportion, but, I'm not done.  I've started modifying the Drive mounts to enable it to swing 90 degrees, as this is the most common complaint amongst PG 00 owners. I'll also be making weigh reduction modifications on the 0 Raiser to remove stress from the mounts, and I have a rather difficult road to trek after assessing the parts.

That's it for now.  I apologize if the post is visually-lacking, but, I still consider myself on break. Until next...

Flashback!

  
UPDATE:   While checking my stats, I chanced upon a web search for my blog title, and within it, my original WIP at ZeroG for the infinity.  I believe I am encountering the same problems now as I did back then, so I might refer to the modifications I did with that one.  I believe that that WIP also made me shy away from using putty because of how messy it can be, but, I might try using Selley's, which is what DonC has been using and highly recommend.

Check it out HERE.

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I was rummaging in my surplus parts stash when I found the Vfin I designed for my very fist attempt at full modification I codenamed Infinity about a couple of years ago.  I abandoned the project, which was a bastardized 00, which I bought as soon as I saw it at STC Makati.  That kit later on became part of my 00Q kitbash along with my first Exia (which was also the first kit I bought when I restarted my collection 3 years ago).  That kitbash project, coincidentally, got abandoned as well because I sensed the arrival of both the 1/144 and MG 00Q months apart.

I'm starting to see a pattern with my abandoned projects, which I would keep to myself. But I digress.

What prompted this Gundam-related post within my Gunpla-hiatus (I have one every year after every major build so it seems) is the Vfin design for the Infinity project.  I dug my old sketch of the Infinity posted deep within my Photobucket account, only because I realized something when I saw the actual Vfin amongst the multitude of parts.  This was that sketch.

And this was the Vfin mounted on the head.

And this is the 00Q Prototype from a screen shot, a couple of years after.

With a few exceptions, I realized my design of the Infinity had an uncanny resemblance to the 00QP, which is not really far fetched since I did base the design from the 00 as well.

On that note, I'm restarting the Infinity Project after the holidays (or probably sooner).  The project will have 3 Gundams; the Alpha, the Omega and the Infinity, complete with back story.  As I have conceptualized it more than 2 years ago when I got the 1/100 00, it will be set 20 or so years into the future of the current 00 era, after both the 00 and Exia R2 got hammered.  Celestial Being will reconstruct the Exia and ditch most of the 00.  The new Exia will later be renamed Infinity, and will be the MOST powerful Gundam in all of Gundamverse, making the God Gundam's Shining Finger feel like a pin prick, and the Unicorn's and Sinanju's psycho frames sane (just to annoy UC fans; all in good fun guys).

So as not to get scooped since I told a couple of people about the concept, back then, and just a few hours ago, Celestial Being went underground after the Infinity's trial run where a new Unified Earth Government, unaware of the existence Infinity, killed almost everyone in Celestial Being and destroyed their resources.  Only Ian, Halleluja, Setsuna and Noriega was left, with Setsuna rescuing Noriega from a vengeful Billy (he became nuts somewhat) and escaping with the Infinity.

They lost contact with Ian and Halleluja (who was experiencing a resurgence of a deadlier, crazier Allelujah) for 5 years until Ian discovered the two Astraeas (I'll get into the nitty-gritty of the lore later on), reunited them.  By that time, Noriega is 8 months pregnant with Setsuna's triplets.  Soon after they were reunited, Hallelujah snapped, killed Setsuna and himself in a blind rage over some old issue when he pushed the former to their deaths. 

Meanwhile in those 5 years, the UEG gained full control of global power, both in resources and have developed powerful new mobile suits based on the Masurao, GN-X and Reborns.  With the Earth in control, the Space Colonies have little or no resources to resist, and no Celestial Beings to intervene.

Fast forward 15 years.  The UEG, for the first time in two decades, will face the New Celestial Being Gundams.