Transformers Venting thread!

Sure, but it's hardly enough to make the entire Combiner Wars series "suck." There are lots of redecos that I've skipped and future ones that I plan on skipping; mostly the ones that are based on characters that I already have as Classicsverse figures (e.g. Prowl, Sunstreaker, Ironhide, Optimus Prime, Mirage etc.). The only exceptions I've made are when the characters were originally gestalts in G1, so I've replace some previous non-combining CHUGUR figures with combinable CW counterparts (e.g. Silverbolt, Hot Spot, Onslaught).

But I still regard CW as a pretty awesome series. :)

I think the Combiner Wars series has done really well for what it is.
Sure a lot of the bots transform in a similar manner, but they need to - have to have the core with combiner plug, and fold up into a sturdy leg, along with extending legs to form a working arm.

Even the G1 Aerialbots were pretty much the same design, just slightly different shells.

Speaking of G1 they could get away with being more different to each other as bot mode articulation was irrelevant (Groove with no legs, Breakdown's legs flipping outwards and Vortex' single foot for example) and the R&D costs had already been paid (Hasbro bought already designed figures.)

To get all the teams and individual members we did, we knew there'd have to be retools to make it worth it, and the differences between ones like Skydive/Air Raid, Rook/Swindle and Dead End/Streetwise are pretty big. Along with the differences with Hot Spot/Onslaught making each of the original combiners look quite different.

I've been impressed.

i was mucking about with my takara LG-10 arcee and tried to force one of the swords a bit too far into her hand and broke the hand :( not completely though, the palm part started to break away. argh. FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

lol was that person's reply about my arcee situation a bit too controversial for the board?

seems TF fans are a lot harsher on the whole remold / retool of the modern CW line

There are other toy lines that does the same if not more (ala Marvel 6" waves) where basically everything is a remold / retool or an existing figure with a few exception new mold every now and then.

Yet the fans seems to be more forgiving and enthusiastic about each new release that comes out

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Originally Posted by UltraMarginal

To be fair, I've found the excessive use of the same/extremely similar transformation design over the combiner wars deluxes to be tiring. there are a few differences here and there but overall if you've transformed a single unique toy from one of each team you aren't going to see anything new anywhere else.

I understand that there is a certain need for consistency with size of combiner modes but it is possible to get equivalent sizes with different engineering. Just look at the different transformations on the original combaticons. they were all unique.

Perhaps it's because we've been so spoiled over the last decade with extremely interesting transformation schemes that this consistency in the combiner wars line is more of a stark comparison.

I have still been enjoying the line and think the combined modes and alt modes of the figures look great. I'm also very impressed with the expressiveness of the individual robot modes.

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One reason I never bothered collecting this range.

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Originally Posted by pleaseexplain101

seems TF fans are a lot harsher on the whole remold / retool of the modern CW line

There are other toy lines that does the same if not more (ala Marvel 6" waves) where basically everything is a remold / retool or an existing figure with a few exception new mold every now and then.

Yet the fans seems to be more forgiving and enthusiastic about each new release that comes out

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I think you're right and I think there is fairly good reason for it. Traditionally Transformers have been unique often challenging puzzle toys. over the last 30 years we as a fandom have been spoilt rotten with constantly new and interesting ways to change different alt modes into giant robots.

most other figure lines are collections of humanoids, apart from different body shapes and clothing you generally expect them to all have exactly the same set of moving parts across a product line.

the CW line has been exceptionally well engineered and at the same time amazingly reflects many of the consistencies of the original toys it's providing Homage to. Largely due to the restriction of each limb having to be the same length as an arm and the same height as a leg, all the arialbots have almost exactly the same transformation, and the same scheme has been used on several of the car characters as well. Add to that, the retooling of pretty much every character into another in another wave and there is an unprecedented level of consistency in the CW toy line, something that the transformers fandom isn't really used to.

I've been picking up all the UW combiner sets that represent the original teams and i'm going to stop there. All the G2 recolours and G1 non-combining characters that are getting CW moulds I don't feel like I need and in the case of the G1 characters I'm fortunate to have been collecting when the classics/generations versions of these toys were released.

Taking into account all the 'remoulds', the shapes/details on the 'repaints' in this line are better than the repaints we were getting a few years ago. in the past a repaint was just that. something with a new colour scheme (which has always been unpopular with the majority). Then Hastak started moulding alternate heads and in the last couple years we've seen extensive remoulds using very similar core structure. I think the TFPRID Arcee/Generations Chromia are the best examples of this, followed by the TF Prime Vehicon and jet Vehicon.

Like I said above, the line has been excellent outside of this transformation consistency. The toys have nice alt and robot modes, are the most stable and articulated combiners we've ever seen and the individual robot modes have fantastic pose ability and character.

I also don't think we'll ever see this level of transformation consistency again, simply due to the nature of the scramble city combiners. I do expect we'll see more creative 'remoulding' along the lines of Arcee and Chromia with less of the traditional direct repaint.

Don't forget, the Transformers fandom in general is possibly one of the more vocal easily cranky fandoms out there, at least that's what I've seen from personal experience.


edit{ oh wow, that turned into a screed, apologies}:o

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pleaseexplain101

seems TF fans are a lot harsher on the whole remold / retool of the modern CW line

There are other toy lines that does the same if not more (ala Marvel 6" waves) where basically everything is a remold / retool or an existing figure with a few exception new mold every now and then.

Yet the fans seems to be more forgiving and enthusiastic about each new release that comes out

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I think the issue is a matter of distinctiveness.

Marvel Legends, GIJoe, and similar lines have the benefit of a consistent scale and the ability to mix and match parts from existing figures and possibly only one or two new parts to create a new distinct figure. (EG - The FunPub Marissa Faireborne and Old Snake and proposed Only Human Hot Rod and Arcee are all unique figures for mix and match parts and intelligent use of paint apps)

TFs are different in that there is limited scope to reuse toolings as each part has to serve both an aesthetic and an engineering function, which means there is limited scope to mix and match in the same way.

The general rule used to be that each mould required at least two uses to justify the tooling costs (think Cybertron Hot Shot & Excellion, Animated Ironhide & Ratchet). With the Thrilling 30 line it seems that they moved to a mentality of apportioning this balance across the whole line, which is why some moulds got three or four uses to justify the ones that only got a single use.

Combiner Wars has extended this idea across 26 separate deluxes (not including the G2 recolours), and is really been the first line which has seen some of the mix and matching seen elsewhere (Offroad and Trailbreaker) and extended the idea of unique moulds with shared engineering (Silverbolt / Cyclonus , Swindle / Rook)

If one needs to collect them all then yes the fatigue would definitely kick in

However like some mention if only sticking with a few e.g just the UW line then the whole line is actually pretty good given so many choices

And they are simple relaxing fun, as a collector of CW MP & 3P there are many times when I'm just glad to pick up a CW TF , transform it under 1 minute and just enjoy the toy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pleaseexplain101

If one needs to collect them all then yes the fatigue would definitely kick in

However like some mention if only sticking with a few e.g just the UW line then the whole line is actually pretty good given so many choices

And they are simple relaxing fun, as a collector of CW MP & 3P there are many times when I'm just glad to pick up a CW TF , transform it under 1 minute and just enjoy the toy

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I've been meaning to ask pleaseexplain101 - is your user name paying homage to Pauline Hansen, mocking her or has nothing to do with her? Just curious. Probably many of our younger users have no idea what I'm talking about :p