I'm with you there STL- only time I used instructions was for BT-Grimlock and MP-05. For MP-05, I would have been happy to use more force, but that was before i realised that some of the apparently metal looking chrome parts were actually plastic.

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I think that there's an apparent contradiction for fans who enjoy the engineering aspect of Transformers but who nonetheless use instructions to transform their toys.

Transforming them without instructions, and figuring out the engineering, goes hand in hand with appreciating it. Each toy is designed with a certain logic- ie catches, joints, clips, etc. If a part won't bulge, its an opportunity to delve into the engineering and figure 'which buttons to push' and which way to push them.

The only thing remotely constructive in the instructions is a warning to the effect of 'toy is designed such that excessive force is not needed to transform toy'. And so if at any one point we find ourselves using excessive force (which admittedly is a subjective concept depending on the individual), we should go back and explore the engineering a little bit more to figure out what exactly should be done.

And this brings those fans full circle to their appreciation of the engineering aspect of Transformers.