The Good - Late last year I took the opportunity to subscribe to FSM, and having had three issues arrive so far I am more than happy (just got the lastest issue today, fastest one yet[Y], and I am glad to see thay are still of the quality they were when I used to get them when my local newsagent got the odd one in. I will renew my subscription when time comes.
Now for the bad. When subscribing I also took the oppotunity to order FSM 2010 Special: Great Scale Modeling & Essential Techniques for the Model Builder. The first I assumed would have good tips and stuff, well assumption being the mother of all stuff-ups shows me I am wrong when I got my grubby paws on it last week. Dont get me wrong I dont mind seeing all these great completed models, its great for motivation and build ideas, I was wrong I admit it, just a little dissapointed, but my fault for assuming.
Now for the big downer Essential Techniques for the Model Builder What utter tripe, well not all of it but more than I’m happy with. Yes I’m ticked at buying something that said nothing about (as far I as saw) being comprised of already publised articles that I already have some of. I’m also ticked at some of the articles I would of really liked depended on information from previously published magazines. I mean what the hell, I buy a book/magazine to be told I have to buy more to get information that should of been in this.
So FSM 2010 Special: Great Scale Modeling gets 4stars, just not what I expected, Essential Techniques for the Model Builder gets 1star for being so lame
Well, lets look at what was in Essential Techniques:
opening stobborn paint bottles
Focus on a photo lightning
a first aid kit for modelers
Resin ship modelling
secrets of resin casting
10 tips for powerful full scale armor
get started airbrushing
motorising a spitfire
masking canopies
model a Falklands War Mirage
Brush cleaning do’s and dont’s
modeling snow
Dynamite decals
build your first diorama
working with raised surface details
working with clear parts
Airbrush gallery : top tips
building a german pillbox diorama
poster paint panel lines
glue basics
make a basic vacuum-forming machine
On the surface, thats a fair bit of info to cram into a mag. Yes, I will admit, when I read my copy, there wasnt anything earth-shattering in there for me either. But people are all over the place as far as their skill level. I’m sure a lot of folk got something out of it. I’ve always marvelled at how FSM (or most hobby related magazines) manages to stay fresh and interesting, given the limited subject material and temptation to re-use articles. I did’nt feel ripped off by essential techniques- I’ve just been leafing through some 1973-78 modeling mags- aint nothing good about the old days ! ('cept maybe the prices) We’ve never had it so good. Its been said before, but this will be the “golden age” of modeling.
Hmm easy Manny-Forum itself 1 Star, community still 5 star [:P]. I did notice FSM are blowing their trumpet in the current issue, no mention of teething problems LOLZ
It wasn’t so much the quality of the content, that was fine, its the fact that some (all?) was reprinted magazine articles (some of which I already have [:@]) or relies/refers to information in previous mags (that I dont have[bnghead]). Going from this experience I wont be ordering any more and would recommend anyone else against it.
Andrew
PS to be truthful they have prolly bought the forums up to 3 star. It can still be slow and full of errors.
Talk about grinding… Wait for the day that someone reads your tip or technique that you gave the forum members for free and then writes it up, almost verbatum, sends it in to “Reader Tips” as his own, and gets paid for it…
I quite happily remember that images didn’t strectch the page wider than my 24" monitor on the old forum. Now I have to regularly scroll across and down.
I happily remember I did not have to cross my fingers when doing long posts cause the forum may crap out.
I quite happily remember that it never acted like I was on a dial-up connection, unless I was.
To their credit most things are at least par, and some better than before, due to their willingness to listen to our moans and complaints. On the bright side the errors are less and less, the speed is all over the place but mostley good and images at least my whole screen gets used sometimes.
The baron, yes I check out the rest of the site from time to time but theres more help and information in here than elsewhere on the site.
That happens to me occasionally… Usually a quick “Refresh” of the page fixes it. If it doesn’t, then there’s likely ONE post or poster on the page causing it… Usually an absurdley large picture, a really long link being pasted, or a poster’s signature line containing too many side-by-side images or too long a quote/link/whatever…
I’ve lost a few of those too, and on just about every forum I’ve ever been a member of… For the long stuff, I’ve learned to do a quick copy & paste onto notepad now & then… It happens also when I haven’t rebooted for a long time (several days), my cable’s acting up, or someone replies to the same post at the same time (rare, but it happens often enough to notice it…) and I get timed out…