What grinds your TF gears?

[GoktimusPrime]

Better yet, I hate how the AOE Toyline was a giant step backwards. Not only did we lose the cyberverse toyline, but the only generation toys that were based off the vechiles, were released in the breakout battle set, and that most of the deceptions were released as 1 step changers and fast action brawlers.

There's nothing wrong with simple transformations or even one step changing per se ... we've had them since G1 (e.g. Autobot Mini-Cars, Jumpstarters, Battlechargers, Throttlebots, Firecons etc.). Basic Class figures in Beast Wars were pretty simple to transform, and we had one step Flipchangers too. But I find that the key difference between the simpleformers and one-steppers of Yesteryear vs. those of today is that the older ones still managed to do it with style. They were simple, but elegant. A lot of the G1 simpleformers and 1-steppers were slave to their gimmicks because of the more limited engineering of the 1980s -- even a lot of non-gimmicked G1 toys weren't exactly super-posable action figures (e.g. G1 Sideswipe; can swing his arms and elbows up and down... that's it). The Beast/Machine Wars Flipchangers were effectively 1-step changers, but each figure boasted a minimum of 9 points high articulation. The 1-step changers of today have bugger all articulation in robot mode. They were also quite detailed in appearance (e.g. Rattrap has fur grain sculpted all over his beast mode and air-brushed paint app on his beast back!); they also feature stowage for their weapons. Today's 1-steppers don't even come with weapons to be stowed!

Then there's value for money. Let's assume that the cost of a Flipchanger in the 1990s is equivalent to the cost of a One-Step Changer today... even then, the Flipchangers still gives us far superior value for money.

I know AoE wasn't the best toyline, but I wouldn't call it the worst. Most of the Generations figures we got were good, and the Power Battlers are really growing on me.

Look at what's shelf-warming atm. It's a lot of the non-Generations stuff for little kids. The Generations stuff was better (I don't know if I'd say "good"), but they've clearly outsold the kiddified stuff, and it can't just be the adult collectors who are dictating this market. IMO most kids are still preferring the Generations stuff because kids don't like to be "talked down" to. This is something that G1 voice actor Michael McConnohie (Tracks, Cosmos) praised G1 for compared to many other franchises in the 80s; it didn't talk down to kids.

Imagine you're an 8 year old. You walk into a toy store and you want an Age of Extinction Drift toy. Your mum has given you $30 to go and buy a toy. You see the Flipchanger for $20 and the Generations Deluxe figure for $25. I know which one I would choose.