The Star Wars Transformers Thread.

[dirge]

We have threads covering G1, Cybertron, etc. So I figured I'd start a thread to discuss SWTFs. Note, this is _not_ the place to discuss whether or not you consider them proper TFs or not - there's a thread (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=252) which already caters for that.

To get the ball rolling...

I had a play with Goktimus' Commander Cody on Saturday and I was quite impressed. Unlike many of the earlier ones such as the X-Wing and that Jedi Starfighter mould (which was not good enough to be used four time, IMO), there's a real effort to make it appeal as a Transformer, rather than just aiming for character likeness.

The spindly proportions are becoming rarer while the transformations are becoming smarter. Yes, there's still a lot of panelforming - but that's to be expected when the two modes are different colours. The robot modes feel more like Transformer modes, rather than a Star Wars figurine crammed inside.

Thoughts?

[GoktimusPrime]

The strengths of Commander Cody as a TF action figure include:

+ The robot mode isn't trying to be too organic - although that's largely due to the fact that it's modelled after Cody in his Clone Trooper armour. Typically SWTFs have better looking robot modes where said modes are modelled after armoured characters, e.g.: Darth Vader, Jango Fett, Boba Fett, other Clones - even Saesee Tiin looks better with his helmet visor down IMO.

+ Considering that the vehicle and robot modes sport drastically different colour schemes, I think that the transformation is well engineered without making it too much of a shellformer.

+ I like how the shoulder wheels pop out to form shoulder-mounted missile launchers - very Transformer like (and quite reminiscent of the G1 Autobot cars).

+ The transformation isn't inhibited by trying to engineer the vehicle mode cockpit to become the chest/upper torso. In other words, it's not trying so hard to be a piloted mecha. Other SWTFs' transformations (and thus overall engineering) suffer as a result of keeping the vehicle mode cockpit as the robot mode's chest - the Jedi Starfighter TFs are a classic example of this.

I've always thought that one of the worst parts of SWTFs as a toy concept was trying to model the robot modes after the pilots. There's no need for it and the line would've been executed without it - or better yet, if the robot modes were modelled after G1 Transformers.

e.g.:
Optimus Prime X-Wing w/ Luke Skywalker
Starscream TIE Advanced w/ Darth Vader
Mirage Jedi Starfighter w/ Anakin Skywalker
Megatron Imperial Shuttle w/ Emperor Palpatine
Shockwave Death Star w/ Grand Moff Tarkin
...etc.

[Paulbot]

I had a look at Borgeman's Cody today and it does make a good looking robot figure... but the vehicle mode is so Star Wars specific (despite being a slightly more obscure SW vehicle) that I can't find a great lot of love for it.

[Borgeman]

the only thing that it has against it is the lack on knee joints. however this is the best looking swtf to date so no complaints from my end

George

[dirge]

the vehicle mode is so Star Wars specific (despite being a slightly more obscure SW vehicle) that I can find a great lot of love for it.

Can or can't?

Anyway... the distinctively Star Wars vehicles aren't an issue for me. I find a more or less accurate Tie Fighter Advanced to be more "realistic" (since it's conforming closely to a pre-existing ideal) than say the jet mode of say Armada Starscream.

So, if anything, the easily recognisable Star Wars vehicle modes work in favour of the SWTFs for me.

[STL]

Cody Commander is impressive. I like his appearance but I'm not sure how others feel about his playability. His articulation is limited at certain points.

The other one of note is General Grievous. I think he's neat. A bit fiddly but neat.

[Paulbot]

Dirge it was supposed to be a can't. The Cody tank has that "lets put a vehicle/character in one scene so we can sell toys of it" feel that puts me off most Episode 1 - 3 toys. I'd prefer more classic SW vehicles: if Hasbro sells a A-Wing, a B-Wing and a Star Destroyer Transformer I'd buy them. :)

[GoktimusPrime]

As Star Wars robots in disguise most of the SWTFs' vehicle modes work reasonably well. It's their robot modes that tend to suffer more (for reasons I've already mentioned). Commander Cody works well in terms of being a Turbo Tank that hides its robot kibble reasonably well in vehicle mode.