How to improve combiners ?

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

a makeover of the duocon concept [although it might need a name change], hmm, i would lose all the springloaded stuff and maybe even go with a 'animated style' approach, 2 scout vehicles [or animals] that form a robot, or more correctly one robot that splits into two vehicles.

What two vehicles/animals/mix would you chose if you were a duocon/bot

I'd almost be inclined to revisit the Decepticon small Headmasters with two robots with individual robot and beast modes able to combine into a fuzor-style single alt-mode. Autobots would sorta work with half-tracks and turboprops.
It'd be cool if you could pull it off right.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Reminds me of Landfill

Only that chogokin looks much much cooler!

[SharkyMcShark]

Only that chogokin looks much much cooler!

the chogokin looks ridiculously cool. What's the deal with them?

They've gone onto my list of non TF items to pick up if I ever come into a large sum of money (with the 1/60 YF-19)

[GoktimusPrime]

Then you didn't read what he actually wrote

Let's revise...

i think duocon type combiners are worth another hit and i would have loved to see them in an animated style [one of my favourite]

As i stated in a previous message in this thread, one combiner group that was very much short lived was the duocons, unfortunately these figures were poorly executed with essentially no articulation. But the premise itself was a sound one. if redesigned to include :animals and/or vehicles as components and with each figure having components that have been engineered only to fit together and not with every other piece. Either two animals/two vehicles/1x animal + 1x vehicle would tf together to form a larger [deluxe] robot from 2 x scout size figures.

Analysis: morg176 suggested revisiting the Duocon concept, which is combining 2 alt modes to form a single robot form.

To which you said:

Morg the way you've described your idea for modern Duocons is pretty much the exact premise of the Autobot figures in Energon. Figure with alt mode, robot mode, and half of a larger robot mode.

Analysis: You were suggesting that the Energon Powerlinx gimmick was an exact match for morg176's concept of a revisited Duocon concept as they are two independent Transformers with autonomous robot modes who also combine to form a larger robot.

Conclusion: The suggestion of Energon Powerlinxers being an 'exact' upgrade of the Duocon concept is debatable as the Duocons' separate halves never had autonomous robot forms (e.g. "Fly" and "Wheels" are not independent Decepticons who form Flywheels). The G1 Multiforcers are a more similar comparison to the Energon Powerlinxers as they ARE autonomous robots with independent alt modes who do merge into combined robot modes (e.g. Dash and Tacker combine to form Dashtacker).

Have I missed something?

[omegaprime]

easy way to improve combiners have a line where

ever transformer can be a head arms or legs so you can pick and chose who ever and what ever you want imagian if you could combine megatron optimus glavatron rodimus and ultramagnus with any combanation you want it would be amazing

[GoktimusPrime]

That sounds like the basic concept of gestalt lines like:

+ G1 "Scramble" gestalts (e.g. Superion, Defensor, Computron, Bruticus, Menasor, Abominus, Piranacon etc.)
+ Landcross (arms can swap around, as can legs)
+ Micromaster gestalts (arms can swap around, as can legs)
+ Build King (RiD Landfill)
+ Energon/Superlink gestalts
+ Power Core Combiners (although the limbs are just drones, not actual Transformers)

However these are all gestalts that feature interchangeable limbs. The robots that form the head/torso are unable to form limbs nor can the limb robots become the head/torso. But as Scream Man said before, gestalts are always inherently compromised in engineering to some degree due to the very fact that on top of transforming from robots to alt modes, they have to be able to combine. Couple that with the additional feature of having interchangeable limbs then you're providing further engineering complications.

I feel sorry for guys like D-Go, San D-Go, Glide and Chain Gun who form the bums of their respective gestalts!

[morg176]

the main reasoning behind a makeover for duocons [and autobot equiv] is that you get two alt modes at the same time and you may be able to use alot of those vehicle modes that are difficult to translate to toys, often due to amount of kibble involved or having 'not enough to work with'

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

and sell em cheap we always get ripped off nowadays with size classification gone wrong.... deluxe size in a voyager box - Im looking at you Animated Lugnut!!

Animated Lugnut is clearly a larger size in vehicle mode than a deluxe. Bulkier in robot mode too.

[morg176]

what two animals would you have as your duocon alt modes

eg (a blowfly and a spider) or a bulldog and a goldfish? be creative

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

An Elephant and a mouse. That would make for some interesting engineering.