Figure repaints or small remoulds?

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Okay, so we're generally agreed that the Transformer size classes are smaller than previous lines. After staring at toy Windblade and an image of Nautica, I came to the conclusion perhaps the toys have been made smaller and cheaper to allow for more budget in extensive re-sculpting (as just one reason for the shrinkage).

You must admit we've had some pretty good toys come out of the same base mould recently; Springer/Sandstorm, Motormaster/Optimus, Onslaught/Hotspot and lots of the limbs of CW. Most of them have some degree of new parts to them. Of course they have all been smaller than the sizes we used to have, but you must admit a lot of them are clever re-use of the base body and new parts. I see a Nautica coming from a re-design of Windblade.

With that in mind, cast your minds back to the days of Armada/Energon/Cybertron. The toys were bigger (Much bigger in some cases) and kind of glorious (I love Cybertron toys!), but less prone for re-use. However they were re-used anyway. Some were inspired and many were crap. Ratbat and Springer(s) for example. Beachcomber/cliffjumper from Energon as just a couple of other examples.

Essentially, my question is this:

Would you rather have, larger toys with less scope for remoulding and just colour changes.
or
Smaller toys with more scope for remoulds for new characters.

Vote and discuss

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Better remolds FTW. I don't like the simplification factor of a lot of today's TFs, but the smaller size doesn't really bother me.
A good remold can look and feel like a whole different TF, and HTT seem to be getting better at it as time goes on.

It doesn't affect my collecting habits all that much personally, since I have a not-very-strict/lots-of-exceptions collecting rule about trying to get different molds for different characters. Still, it allows them to cover a lot more ground and boosts my chances of getting a character I'd like to have in my collection.

[prjkt]

I agree with the above, I collect characters, not moulds. So what if Sunstreaker/Sideswipe/Red Alert are basically the same figure, or ditto for Prowl/Bluestreak/Smokescreen and Frenzy/Rumble?

If a remould makes the character more unique, even better (Springer/Sandstorm, Prime Arcee/Chromia, Starscream/Jhiaxus and most of the Combiner Wars cars so far.)

[UltraMarginal]

I personally didn't think the springer/sandstorm mould was very small, one of the larger voyagers we've had in a while. I suppose your saying that the armada era toys were a LOT bigger than even those two though.

having been a picky bugger, remoulds like that are pretty sweet. I generally skip out on straight repaints even if there is a different head unless there is precedent. I have a lot of seekers, and various versions of the Datsun bros for example.

My preference is for a new mould all the way but some of these existing remoulds are surprisingly good and enough that you could just about call it a different mould, chromia/prime Arcee being a good example.

As log as it doesn't lead to an entire wave of 8 characters being pretty much the same toy with 20% mould difference between each one. that would get really boring really fast.

[CBratron]

I don't think size should be the prime factor of cost. Parts count and assembly costs should be (though the larger a toy is the more space there is for complexity).

[GoktimusPrime]

The Combiner Wars figures are a pretty good size IMO -- more reminiscent of pre-2011 sizes. I put my Leader Class CW Megatron on my Classicsverse leaders shelf, and he just towers over everyone else.

[BigTransformerTrev]

having been a picky bugger, remoulds like that are pretty sweet. I generally skip out on straight repaints even if there is a different head unless there is precedent. I have a lot of seekers, and various versions of the Datsun bros for example.

My preference is for a new mould all the way but some of these existing remoulds are surprisingly good and enough that you could just about call it a different mould, chromia/prime Arcee being a good example.

As log as it doesn't lead to an entire wave of 8 characters being pretty much the same toy with 20% mould difference between each one. that would get really boring really fast.

+ 1

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I personally didn't think the springer/sandstorm mould was very small, one of the larger voyagers we've had in a while. I suppose your saying that the armada era toys were a LOT bigger than even those two though.

Yeah, Plus Speinger and Sandstorm were the two earliest figures of rcent Transformers that I see as being the start of the extensive remoulding we see now. I keep thinking back to Galaxy Force Starscream and Vector Prime. Those were some chunky (and the first classification of) Voyagers. Both remarkable simple toys as well.

I don't think size should be the prime factor of cost. Parts count and assembly costs should be (though the larger a toy is the more space there is for complexity).

The thing that kind of got me thinking about this though was Windblade and her incredibly gappy vehicle mode. I can't really think of many earlier transformers that were so thin and holy. Even Cyclonus of the Henkei henkei variety was a tad better.