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Thread: Diecast metal

  1. #21
    drifand is offline Rank 6 - Dedicated Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime View Post
    Yeah, unless those robots transform into vehicles, then it's not really comparable. Some people make comparisons with Macross, citing that some of their toys make Masterpiece Transformers look like child's play. Although Macross vehicles are all fictitious and not based on real world licensed vehicles. And we all know what happened when an MP Transformer was designed by a Macross designer.
    That is true, sometimes is just the company that decides what material they want in the end.

    The bad thing is hasbro Asia is just notorious for charging way premium for the masterpiece toy. That is not really helping to be honest.

    Btw most of my critic is focus on takara rather than hasbro, as I always look to takara as the premium.

  2. #22
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    When it comes to toys, especially Transformers with lots of moving parts, I think plastic is better - it's lighter, leading to less stress on joints, and plastic has a lower likelihood of paint chipping (this is pretty much negated if the plastic is already the desired colour ) I will concede that the extra heft of a figure with a lot of diecast 'feels' better, but I'm not sure it outweighs the downsides of more stress on joints and paint flaking off. I also have an MP-1 (specifically the Hasbro 20th Anniversary release), and it suffers from paint chipping and flaking, and occasionally topples over, sometimes resulting in a popped ankle.

    I think diecast should really only be used on critical joints and load-bearing structures, or in legs and feet for stability.

    Diecast model cars are a different story because they have far fewer moving parts and joints (particularly weight-bearing joints) and the paint is often of better quality.

    Quote Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime View Post

    And who didn't laugh/applaud at the TV when they first heard this line?
    Yes, I thought of that line when I created this thread


    As an aside, I recall reading that MP-1, despite its numbering, was actually meant to be a one-off, and that when it was decided to continue the line, it became too costly to make MPs so big and with so much metal, hence the resize and emphasis on plastic starting with MP-3. No idea where I read that, but it wasn't TFWiki.

  3. #23
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    I like a little bit of diecast cause I like my toys to have a feeling of heft. I think generally speaking, the lighter feeling it is, the cheaper it feels.

    Good design can really make diecast work across the entire figure though. The recent King of Beast Golion is a fantastic example - probably 80% of it is metal but the engineering is top notch so there's no sagging at the connection points at all!

    Transformers tend to have more moving parts (and parts that shift place between modes) so it becomes a bit more difficult to place the metal. I'd say they've done a good balancing job with the larger MP toys.

  4. #24
    drifand is offline Rank 6 - Dedicated Member
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    The thing is Transformers are not famous for using metal.
    So when mp-1 was launched it was a huge eye opener even to non transformers fans. The binaltech series just made things of what I would expect from the masterpiece line.

    Note, I didn't care for all other transformers toy line as it is expected to be not as premium as the mps. When sideswipe came out, it was really like "oh is that it? All plastic?" It took a while for me to sink in, lower my expectations by quite a bit before I started to enjoy the masterpieces again.

    Yes cost is a factor, but this is masterpiece we are talking about.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Magnus View Post
    As an aside, I recall reading that MP-1, despite its numbering, was actually meant to be a one-off, and that when it was decided to continue the line, it became too costly to make MPs so big and with so much metal, hence the resize and emphasis on plastic starting with MP-3. No idea where I read that, but it wasn't TFWiki.
    That sounds about right. I remember when MP1 came out, a lot of official promotional photography from Takara showed MP1 interacting with Binaltechs. And MP1 came out around the same time as BT1 Smokescreen. Between 2004*-11, we had 5 MP moulds (Convoy, Starscream, Megatron, Grimlock, Rodimus); so 5 moulds in a 7 year period. Compare this with 13 MP moulds created from 2011 (starting from MP10) to 2015 (up to MP24); 13 moulds in 4 years or 12 if you don't count MP11 as a new mould, either way, it's a significantly higher volume of moulds than pre-MP10. I'd say that MP10 onwards has seen a significantly more concerted focus and drive in developing the MP line.

    _______________________________
    *Yeah, I know that MP1 came out in December 2003, but for all intents and purposes, it's really a 2004 toy because the box features the 2004 20th Anniversary logo. I'd say that Takara released it in December to capitalise on the Xmas shopping period. Besides, how many of us were lucky enough to receive our MP1s in December 03? I pre-ordered mine and didn't get it until January.

  6. #26
    drifand is offline Rank 6 - Dedicated Member
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    But even with plastic, the quality does show some lacking when you compare to alternators. I still remembered my G1 streak feels a bit heavy and solid slightly.

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime View Post
    Yeah, unless those robots transform into vehicles, then it's not really comparable. Some people make comparisons with Macross, citing that some of their toys make Masterpiece Transformers look like child's play. Although Macross vehicles are all fictitious and not based on real world licensed vehicles. And we all know what happened when an MP Transformer was designed by a Macross designer.
    Remind me again what sort of licenced vehicle MP Rodimus is?
    Dovie'andi se tovya sagain

  8. #28
    drifand is offline Rank 6 - Dedicated Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trent View Post
    Remind me again what sort of licenced vehicle MP Rodimus is?
    I actually can't believe they passed the QC on the hands, now I pose him in one position and leave him there for good. The Hasbro was a big improvement but not great.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trent View Post
    Remind me again what sort of licenced vehicle MP Rodimus is?
    The same auto company that produced MP Grimlock's vehicle and MP22 Ultra Magnus' trailer, duh.

  10. #30
    drifand is offline Rank 6 - Dedicated Member
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    Its has occured to me, this is where most MISB collectors will laugh and don't give a toss what it is made off inside.

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