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Dat Slugslinger. I NEED IT!
The trio with Trigger Happy and Missfire MUST be completed.

I fear this will never come out in stores or if it do, it will be like a drop of water in a hot pan. So I'll have to pay the price like for Kup.

-Kanrabat- wrote:Dat Slugslinger. I NEED IT!
The trio with Trigger Happy and Missfire MUST be completed.

I fear this will never come out in stores or if it do, it will be like a drop of water in a hot pan. So I'll have to pay the price like for Kup.

At least he comes 3 per box, unlike KUP. Oh and Kup is getting rereleased, so you have another chance of getting him.

Emerje wrote:Where do I even begin...

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:As for the Targetmasters, not including them in Titans Return would have been a bad call considering that they were still a major part of the late-1987 lineup and featured in The Rebirth.

You say that like Titans Return is a dedicated 1987 line, which it isn't. You say that like Titans Return is based on The Rebirth, which it isn't. It contains figures from that period and from that season, but it isn't a slave to it, it isn't even a slave to characters originally released by Hasbro.

You're absolutely right, it's not a dedicated 1987 line - with the exception of Sky Shadow, Krok and the Jumpstarters it's a dedicated 1986-1988 line. My point is that, since they were covering that era and doing the Headmasters, why NOT do the other characters who were there with them?

As for Powermasters, there's exactly three (but then, if we're bringing back the "little partner figure who forms part of a Transformer" concept why not make new toys for the Powermasters?): 1. Powermaster Optimus Prime (who was a big part of late G1 both in the Marvel comics and in the so-called fifth season of the cartoon where he was part of the framing device. Plus, well, Generations hadn't had a big Optimus yet), who is a retool of the already-existing CW Ultra Magnus.

Yeah, I own two of the G1 PM Prime and a reissue God Ginrai as well as Legends God Ginrai and SoC Magnus Prime, I know all this. Even Hasbro admitted they jumped the gun making TR PM Prime since they hadn't come up with PotP yet. It was poor planning on their part, they shouldn't have boxed themselves in like this and left PM Prime and other PMs and Targetmasters for later just in case TR did well and they wanted to repeat it later (which they basically did with PotP).

They also said that it was kind of impossible to plan ahead to the next line, that the next line's gimmick was "Answer cloudy, ask again later" until late in Titans Return's development. Also, the main reason they wished they'd been able to hold off on PMOP til Power of the Primes ISN'T because Prime Masters form engines. It's because the gimmick of Leader class figures in that line is "Deluxe core figure combines with extra components to form a larger figure". You know, like how the original PMOP toy that you have so many versions of was a separate cab robot that combined with its trailer to form a super robot.

2. Breakaway, because Hasbro wanted more mileage out of the Chromedome mold and realized that A. Getaway/Lightfoot's original car mode and TR Chromedome's car mode looked quasi-similar and B. the faux-hood chest was shaped such that it could be painted up like the original toy's chest windshield. That and he's a major character in the IDW comics.

The only valid point you made was the last one about him being in the IDW comics (though the figure looks nothing at all like the comic version). I own for a loose G1 Getaway and a MIB G1 figure, he's a normal Earth sports car (TFWiki tells me he's a Mazda RX-7 FC3S) while Chromedome is a Cybertronian car. TR Breakaway is a very abstract take on the character and they used so much paint trying to make Chromedome look a little like Getaway that they missed more important things like his blue arms. Again, they should have held off.

You seem to have completely ignored a couple of my statements here. They have been bolded. I know that G1 Getaway is an Earth sportscar while G1 Chromedome is a Cybertronian sportscar, but TR Chromedome's car mode's tucked-in arms give it a more Earthly profile and they're both hatchbacks. I did say QUASI similar after all. I admit it's a shoehorning (though some here seem fine with that considering all the people wanting a Crosshairs redeco of Kup). But when Hasbro decided Chromedome was getting a redeco to maximize their returns on the mold (meaning SOMEBDOY was getting shoehorned into it), Getaway was not exactly an out-of-left-field choice, especially given the era the line mainly looks at and having comic presence promoting him on top of that.

3. Overlord. Whose original toy costs a mint due to no US release, who has appeal to fans of Japanese G1, and who is also a major player in the IDW comics. Every reason to have a new toy developed.

I'm not arguing that a new figure needs to be made, just the way they went about making it. Fans have waited this long, why not wait another year for him to be done right? Again they boxed themselves in and released a figure that they planned too soon. I'd rather his spot had been taken by Thunderwing modified from Sky Shadow. I mean, all they had to do was push the figure back, give him a new head (the TR mold can Transform without removing the TM) and he'd be ready to stick two Prime Masters in his chest.

Oh yes, because it makes *perfect* sense to delay Overlord, the guy the mold was mainly designed as in the first place and whose jet component's molds were ready already, in favor of Thunderwing who would require new tooling and would be a shoehorned-in retool to get more out of the mold just like Sky Shadow was (he's a kickass-looking one but he's still a shoehorn. Given that the tank component is unmistakably the Gigatank in sculpt, it's pretty obvious). Oh, wait - no it doesn't. And in fact, Thunderwing is actually more suited to Power of the Primes than Overlord is considering that the gimmick for Leaders in PotP is a Deluxe-size core robot combining with a larger component - that was what Thunderwing's original toy did.

The Horrorcons, meanwhile? They would have been annoying to design within the constraints of Titans Return and, frankly, to bring up to the standards of modern Transformers figures (Apeface especially), and wouldn't have lent themselves to being moldmates with anybody except maybe each other. And they would have had to rely on nostalgia for sales (and from what I understand they were never the most popular) since the Horrorcons are barely even a footnote in IDW. Also, since they would have been Voyagers (if they'd been made as full figures at all) it's not like the Targetmasters took spots they would have used.

You act as if only characters that have had an impact in the IDW comics are worth making figures of. I find that baffling since we've gotten few figures based on the comics directly. Hate to break it to you, but Hasbro relies much, much more on nostalgia than the comics when it comes to remaking G1 figures. But it really just comes down to what makes a cool figure. New figures of Apeface and Snapdragon would be cool. As for mold-mates, there are options like the leaked (and most likely fake) retools into BW TM2 Optimus Primal and Megatron. Or even go way outside the box and do Oilmaster (a double Pretender) or B'Boom (a BW Triplechanger of sorts) and Dinobot. There are always options. And it's not like mold-mates have to appear in the same line, we're seeing a lot of retools in PotP already.

Emerje

No, I don't act like only characters who have made an impact in the IDW comics are worth making toys of. I despise the IDW continuity as a whole (there are bits I like, characters I like, but the overall universe... blugh), and I dislike when Generations toys are aesthetically influenced by the pseudo-Bayformer look (that doesn't look anywhere near as good as the actual Bayformers). But if I thought the comics didn't have a significant bearing on who gets made, I'd be deluding myself. Thinking they don't play a role in promoting the toys is also delusional - plenty of comic fans also buy the toys and someone who has had pagetime and made an impression during that pagetime is probably going to be more interesting to a fan mainly concerned with the comics than someone who hasn't appeared much or done much. And some plots and body changes in the comics have been done with selling the toys in mind.
Yes, new toys of Apeface and Snapdragon would be cool. I'm not denying that. My point is that staying faithful to their essential visual design while bringing them up to the standards of modern Transformers would have been a pain in the tail, especially with Apeface (whose design is rather cluttered by the two different sets of limbs). Even more of a pain if you wanted to keep Krunk and Spasma as double-duty heads within the constraints of Titans Return (That is, all Titan Masters can fit in all helmets, cockpits, and weapons). A pain that, given the Horrorcons are both low on the nostalgic fondness chart (if my understanding of their popularity is right) and lacking in presence in recent G1-based fiction, might not even pay off.

I'll concede you and Kurona there is some validity to a Leader Scorponok after all.

Generations' approach to IDW is... strange, to say the least. You've got main characters like Chromedome, Brainstorm and Rewind who aren't molded to look like their comic selves aside from - an admittedly very beautiful and faithful - headsculpt... but then you've got a B-lister like Perceptor who is sculpted right down to shoulder details and having his sniper rifle to look like the IDW character but then doesn't even have the different head design; the part of his design in the comics that makes him stand out most from his original G1 self. Can't say I'm complaining - it's incredible we're getting any comic representation at all beyond picking what characters to use as repaints to be honest - but by golly it's odd.

But I will complain that in the line where the gimmick is having a separate piece form the head and having a size class specifically devoted to giving you a different head... they didn't give you alternate head options for toys, like a Hardhead with a mouth or the aforementioned IDW Perceptor head. I say this a lot but I don't think I'll ever not be baffled by how huge a missed opportunity it was to give different fans options.

I see The over scale TR Highbrow is available to order now - I like that he has folding rotors that is something I sorely miss not being present on the Hasbro version.

As for what I think of Hasbro toys - No Idea bar a few One steps and 3 steps and legion (repaints) & Blind bags from TLK I've not seen a single thing since wave 3.

Transformers has vanished from the shelves if it's not a Movie toy - I just hope some of the toy buyers out there are willing to play catch up pre-December on non-Movie toys.

Another year like this and it might as well be the G2 Product crash again.

Yeah, uh, I'm hearing this a lot; has anyone in the UK found any TR toys beyond Wave 3? Like, any at all anywhere? Not counting stuff like Kapow which imports from America; but any stock at Toys R Us or Smyths or friggin' Tesco? Because I've not seen hide nor hair of a Quake or a Seaspray or a Broadside anywhere.

Not sure if anyone has said anything yet but my slugslinger from ages three and up shipped so yes.he was actually in stock there

Kurona wrote:Yeah, uh, I'm hearing this a lot; has anyone in the UK found any TR toys beyond Wave 3? Like, any at all anywhere? Not counting stuff like Kapow which imports from America; but any stock at Toys R Us or Smyths or friggin' Tesco? Because I've not seen hide nor hair of a Quake or a Seaspray or a Broadside anywhere.

Not yet. I'm keeping my eye out for a Ramhorn (or failing that, Quake) for my custom Metalhawk, but it's looking like he'll just have to sit in jet mode for a while until new stock starts cropping up in stores.

Kurona wrote:Generations' approach to IDW is... strange, to say the least. You've got main characters like Chromedome, Brainstorm and Rewind who aren't molded to look like their comic selves aside from - an admittedly very beautiful and faithful - headsculpt

Actually, Chromedome's TR design was based on his IDW design seen in Shadowplay

Has anyone ordered Trypticon from the US and shipped to Canada? What has shipping looked like?

Decepticon619 wrote:Has anyone ordered Trypticon from the US and shipped to Canada? What has shipping looked like?

Well, it's in a box, carried by the mailman. You're not a home so you have a notice. You get your package at the box office. You curse as you pay the 30$+ custom fees making costing him more than if you'd have bought it locally. At home you unpack the thing and despite the bubble wrap the box is still half crushed.

So, the shipping look pretty much like every other toys. You'd hope a delivery via portal or something but no, nothing fancy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Haha poor wording on my part but you're probably quite right about the customs bit! I was just trying to gauge if it would be worth trying to snag one at the 149$ price tag as opposed to the 229$ local

Decepticon619 wrote:Haha poor wording on my part but you're probably quite right about the customs bit! I was just trying to gauge if it would be worth trying to snag one at the 145$ price tag as opposed to the 229$ local

I knew that. I just couldn't resist!

But when you say 145$, is it in USD? Because if yes, it will be REALLY counter productive. It's also a BIG box, meaning very expensive shipping. Plus, if the thing come from a US store, customs are SURE to hit. Meaning you pay the taxes anyway and you'll have to pay an extra 10$CAN "handling fee".

BBTS used to give a preview of how much shipping will cost but their site redesign made me nope'd when they asked me to enter Paypal before knowing the total.
Based on my experience, getting a large box like that from the USA is around 30$US.

So let's say it's roughly 180$US shipped. In Canadian, it mean 223$CAN. If I order it, customs hit and I pay the taxes based on Trypticon's base 180$CAN value (shipping have no taxes). Meaning around 27$CAN. Slap the "handling fee" and customs amount to 37$CAN. So, a grand total of 260$CAN if I import from the USA at that price.

Compare to just buying it live at full price at your local Toys R Us:
230$CAN plus taxes is 264$ total. MORE expensive if you order online because you'll have to pay at least 10$ in shipping, counting the shipping discount.

In the end, ordering from the USA is a big gamble and your only prize is to maybe save 5 bucks. You may end up paying more and you'll have to wait days or weeks before getting the toy.

Personally, I'll wait for a sale. And if I miss out, meh...

-Kanrabat- wrote:You get your package at the box office.

You can get your mail from the movie theatre?

Man you folks in Quebec are all kinds of whack-a-doodle crazy.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

Kurona wrote:Generations' approach to IDW is... strange, to say the least. You've got main characters like Chromedome, Brainstorm and Rewind who aren't molded to look like their comic selves aside from - an admittedly very beautiful and faithful - headsculpt

Actually, Chromedome's TR design was based on his IDW design seen in Shadowplay

I've always doubted that since, well, his Shadowplay design looks like his G1 design. It's just based on the G1 design and happens to look like how the IDW character looked in one flashback.

Kurona wrote:Incidentally, I also feel we should at some point get a Leader-sized Fort Max. Maybe they could base him on the IDW design to differentiate him from the Titan. ... actually, considering how inaccurate the Titan was, they could probably differentiate the Leader enough simply by making him G1-accurate

I was going to bring this up next depending on how the conversation went. I could definitely go for a Leader Fort Max in a more G1 accurate style perfect for getting his butt kicked by Galvatron II AND Megatron. But at the same time I think he'd also need a more traditional vehicle mode for Leader class so he might need the tank treads on his back like what we saw in the pre-Titans Return line art leak. I suppose that would make him like the IDW incarnation which would make him a good fit with Overlord.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:You're absolutely right, it's not a dedicated 1987 line - with the exception of Sky Shadow, Krok and the Jumpstarters it's a dedicated 1986-1988 line. My point is that, since they were covering that era and doing the Headmasters, why NOT do the other characters who were there with them?

Mainly because these Targetmasters are not first string, super popular characters worthy of getting multiple figures within a few years. This is their one shot at a modern figure and they blew it by making them the wrong type of Master. If Hasbro should decide to do a Targetmaster themed line in 2020 do expect the Decepticon Targetmasters to be in it. Yes, they're fantastic figures, but I'm going with Takara Tomy this time for the proper Targetmaster partners.

They also said that it was kind of impossible to plan ahead to the next line, that the next line's gimmick was "Answer cloudy, ask again later" until late in Titans Return's development.

They didn't say it was impossible, they simply said they hadn't planned that far ahead. They've since learned from this mistake and have the franchise road mapped to 2021, well after Prime Wars.

You seem to have completely ignored a couple of my statements here. They have been bolded. I know that G1 Getaway is an Earth sportscar while G1 Chromedome is a Cybertronian sportscar, but TR Chromedome's car mode's tucked-in arms give it a more Earthly profile and they're both hatchbacks. I did say QUASI similar after all.

I didn't ignore them, I even pointed out that they had to use a bucket of paint to make the chest sort of have the right look which I feel compromised the figure in other areas. Also Getaway isn't a hatchback, but neither is that TR mold for that matter. Really the only thing I see quasi similar between G1 Getaway and the TR Chromedome mold is that they're both cars. They didn't have to reuse the Chromedome mold, they didn't reuse the Wolfwire or Hot Rod molds and I would have much preferred to have the rumored (and probably part of a canceled box set) Carnivac in Getaway's place.

I admit it's a shoehorning (though some here seem fine with that considering all the people wanting a Crosshairs redeco of Kup).

Ehhhh, did people really want Crosshairs to be a redeco of Kup? I think what people wanted was a new Crosshairs mold, but the expectation was for him to use the Kup mold since they're both Cybertronian trucks with short cabs. Basically people were willing to settle, but I think Orion Pax was the better choice.

Oh yes, because it makes *perfect* sense to delay Overlord, the guy the mold was mainly designed as in the first place and whose jet component's molds were ready already, in favor of Thunderwing who would require new tooling and would be a shoehorned-in retool to get more out of the mold just like Sky Shadow was (he's a kickass-looking one but he's still a shoehorn. Given that the tank component is unmistakably the Gigatank in sculpt, it's pretty obvious). Oh, wait - no it doesn't.

You realize the difference between Sky Shadow and Thunderwing are the head (or in this case the TM face plate and helmet) and chest, right? It isn't exactly a massive overhaul and it's very likely the parts already exist on the mold. I'm not saying they should have scrapped the Overload figure, just push it back a year and give him a normal head, his chest slots are perfect for sticking Prime Masters in.

And in fact, Thunderwing is actually more suited to Power of the Primes than Overlord is considering that the gimmick for Leaders in PotP is a Deluxe-size core robot combining with a larger component - that was what Thunderwing's original toy did.

Here's why that wont happen. First off all of the Pretenders are being repurposed as Decoy Suits for the Prime Masters, it's unlikely they'd let Thunderwing be an exception. Then there's the inner robot, Hasbro rarely focuses on those usually preferring to use the outer shell to represent the character. Thunderwing's inner robot is pretty bland, not exactly something Hasbro would want to make a Deluxe figure out of. If they do Thunderwing at all in PotP as a Leader he'll more likely be based on his Stormbringer incarnation giving us a Deluxe Thunderwing designed after his shell that evolves into his hulking armor. But then we have to wonder if Hasbro will be willing to give us a second Deluxe Thunderwing.

No, I don't act like only characters who have made an impact in the IDW comics are worth making toys of. I despise the IDW continuity as a whole (there are bits I like, characters I like, but the overall universe... blugh), and I dislike when Generations toys are aesthetically influenced by the pseudo-Bayformer look (that doesn't look anywhere near as good as the actual Bayformers). But if I thought the comics didn't have a significant bearing on who gets made, I'd be deluding myself. Thinking they don't play a role in promoting the toys is also delusional - plenty of comic fans also buy the toys and someone who has had pagetime and made an impression during that pagetime is probably going to be more interesting to a fan mainly concerned with the comics than someone who hasn't appeared much or done much. And some plots and body changes in the comics have been done with selling the toys in mind.

Yes, Hasbro does use the comics to cross promote the toys, but it's done so loosely that often what they do in the comics either can't be replicated by the toys like with a bunch of the stuff happening in Combiner Wars, or just barely touches on the toy theme like the Titan Return comics. The reality is only a fraction of the comic readers even buy the toys since the majority of toy buyers are still kids.

Yes, new toys of Apeface and Snapdragon would be cool. I'm not denying that. My point is that staying faithful to their essential visual design while bringing them up to the standards of modern Transformers would have been a pain in the tail, especially with Apeface (whose design is rather cluttered by the two different sets of limbs). Even more of a pain if you wanted to keep Krunk and Spasma as double-duty heads within the constraints of Titans Return (That is, all Titan Masters can fit in all helmets, cockpits, and weapons). A pain that, given the Horrorcons are both low on the nostalgic fondness chart (if my understanding of their popularity is right) and lacking in presence in recent G1-based fiction, might not even pay off.

Modern engineering can fix most of the issue you pointed out without ruining the look of the characters. As for the Titan Masters all you have to do is look at Sixshot to see how a beast mode head can be done with with a Titan Master. And since they'd be Voyagers the beast mask would be smaller and fit the TM better. It isn't as complicated as people make it out to be.

Emerje

Kurona wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

Kurona wrote:Generations' approach to IDW is... strange, to say the least. You've got main characters like Chromedome, Brainstorm and Rewind who aren't molded to look like their comic selves aside from - an admittedly very beautiful and faithful - headsculpt

Actually, Chromedome's TR design was based on his IDW design seen in Shadowplay

I've always doubted that since, well, his Shadowplay design looks like his G1 design. It's just based on the G1 design and happens to look like how the IDW character looked in one flashback.

But the shapes, details, and proportions of the toy and the Shadowplay body designs match each other. Only the exact colors and layout don't match (ironically, the deco of Takara's Chromedome is more of a match for the Shadowplay body's deco). But there's no preexisting Chromedome toy design that the Shadowplay body design is as much a match for in shape/details/proportion as the TR Chromedome toy is to the Shadowplay body design. For all we know, the toy was based on the Shadowplay design because of that body's being inspired by the classic Chromedome look.

Emerje wrote:

Kurona wrote:Incidentally, I also feel we should at some point get a Leader-sized Fort Max. Maybe they could base him on the IDW design to differentiate him from the Titan. ... actually, considering how inaccurate the Titan was, they could probably differentiate the Leader enough simply by making him G1-accurate

I was going to bring this up next depending on how the conversation went. I could definitely go for a Leader Fort Max in a more G1 accurate style perfect for getting his butt kicked by Galvatron II AND Megatron. But at the same time I think he'd also need a more traditional vehicle mode for Leader class so he might need the tank treads on his back like what we saw in the pre-Titans Return line art leak. I suppose that would make him like the IDW incarnation which would make him a good fit with Overlord.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:You're absolutely right, it's not a dedicated 1987 line - with the exception of Sky Shadow, Krok and the Jumpstarters it's a dedicated 1986-1988 line. My point is that, since they were covering that era and doing the Headmasters, why NOT do the other characters who were there with them?

Mainly because these Targetmasters are not first string, super popular characters worthy of getting multiple figures within a few years. This is their one shot at a modern figure and they blew it by making them the wrong type of Master. If Hasbro should decide to do a Targetmaster themed line in 2020 do expect the Decepticon Targetmasters to be in it. Yes, they're fantastic figures, but I'm going with Takara Tomy this time for the proper Targetmaster partners.

They also said that it was kind of impossible to plan ahead to the next line, that the next line's gimmick was "Answer cloudy, ask again later" until late in Titans Return's development.

They didn't say it was impossible, they simply said they hadn't planned that far ahead. They've since learned from this mistake and have the franchise road mapped to 2021, well after Prime Wars.

You seem to have completely ignored a couple of my statements here. They have been bolded. I know that G1 Getaway is an Earth sportscar while G1 Chromedome is a Cybertronian sportscar, but TR Chromedome's car mode's tucked-in arms give it a more Earthly profile and they're both hatchbacks. I did say QUASI similar after all.

I didn't ignore them, I even pointed out that they had to use a bucket of paint to make the chest sort of have the right look which I feel compromised the figure in other areas. Also Getaway isn't a hatchback, but neither is that TR mold for that matter. Really the only thing I see quasi similar between G1 Getaway and the TR Chromedome mold is that they're both cars. They didn't have to reuse the Chromedome mold, they didn't reuse the Wolfwire or Hot Rod molds and I would have much preferred to have the rumored (and probably part of a canceled box set) Carnivac in Getaway's place.

I admit it's a shoehorning (though some here seem fine with that considering all the people wanting a Crosshairs redeco of Kup).

Ehhhh, did people really want Crosshairs to be a redeco of Kup? I think what people wanted was a new Crosshairs mold, but the expectation was for him to use the Kup mold since they're both Cybertronian trucks with short cabs. Basically people were willing to settle, but I think Orion Pax was the better choice.

Oh yes, because it makes *perfect* sense to delay Overlord, the guy the mold was mainly designed as in the first place and whose jet component's molds were ready already, in favor of Thunderwing who would require new tooling and would be a shoehorned-in retool to get more out of the mold just like Sky Shadow was (he's a kickass-looking one but he's still a shoehorn. Given that the tank component is unmistakably the Gigatank in sculpt, it's pretty obvious). Oh, wait - no it doesn't.

You realize the difference between Sky Shadow and Thunderwing are the head (or in this case the TM face plate and helmet) and chest, right? It isn't exactly a massive overhaul and it's very likely the parts already exist on the mold. I'm not saying they should have scrapped the Overload figure, just push it back a year and give him a normal head, his chest slots are perfect for sticking Prime Masters in.

And in fact, Thunderwing is actually more suited to Power of the Primes than Overlord is considering that the gimmick for Leaders in PotP is a Deluxe-size core robot combining with a larger component - that was what Thunderwing's original toy did.

Here's why that wont happen. First off all of the Pretenders are being repurposed as Decoy Suits for the Prime Masters, it's unlikely they'd let Thunderwing be an exception. Then there's the inner robot, Hasbro rarely focuses on those usually preferring to use the outer shell to represent the character. Thunderwing's inner robot is pretty bland, not exactly something Hasbro would want to make a Deluxe figure out of. If they do Thunderwing at all in PotP as a Leader he'll more likely be based on his Stormbringer incarnation giving us a Deluxe Thunderwing designed after his shell that evolves into his hulking armor. But then we have to wonder if Hasbro will be willing to give us a second Deluxe Thunderwing.

No, I don't act like only characters who have made an impact in the IDW comics are worth making toys of. I despise the IDW continuity as a whole (there are bits I like, characters I like, but the overall universe... blugh), and I dislike when Generations toys are aesthetically influenced by the pseudo-Bayformer look (that doesn't look anywhere near as good as the actual Bayformers). But if I thought the comics didn't have a significant bearing on who gets made, I'd be deluding myself. Thinking they don't play a role in promoting the toys is also delusional - plenty of comic fans also buy the toys and someone who has had pagetime and made an impression during that pagetime is probably going to be more interesting to a fan mainly concerned with the comics than someone who hasn't appeared much or done much. And some plots and body changes in the comics have been done with selling the toys in mind.

Yes, Hasbro does use the comics to cross promote the toys, but it's done so loosely that often what they do in the comics either can't be replicated by the toys like with a bunch of the stuff happening in Combiner Wars, or just barely touches on the toy theme like the Titan Return comics. The reality is only a fraction of the comic readers even buy the toys since the majority of toy buyers are still kids.

Yes, new toys of Apeface and Snapdragon would be cool. I'm not denying that. My point is that staying faithful to their essential visual design while bringing them up to the standards of modern Transformers would have been a pain in the tail, especially with Apeface (whose design is rather cluttered by the two different sets of limbs). Even more of a pain if you wanted to keep Krunk and Spasma as double-duty heads within the constraints of Titans Return (That is, all Titan Masters can fit in all helmets, cockpits, and weapons). A pain that, given the Horrorcons are both low on the nostalgic fondness chart (if my understanding of their popularity is right) and lacking in presence in recent G1-based fiction, might not even pay off.

Modern engineering can fix most of the issue you pointed out without ruining the look of the characters. As for the Titan Masters all you have to do is look at Sixshot to see how a beast mode head can be done with with a Titan Master. And since they'd be Voyagers the beast mask would be smaller and fit the TM better. It isn't as complicated as people make it out to be.

Emerje

wasn't Infinitor Leader Class size

+ putting tank treads on his back just basically turns him into Warden

Stuartmaximus wrote:

Emerje wrote:

Kurona wrote:Incidentally, I also feel we should at some point get a Leader-sized Fort Max. Maybe they could base him on the IDW design to differentiate him from the Titan. ... actually, considering how inaccurate the Titan was, they could probably differentiate the Leader enough simply by making him G1-accurate

I was going to bring this up next depending on how the conversation went. I could definitely go for a Leader Fort Max in a more G1 accurate style perfect for getting his butt kicked by Galvatron II AND Megatron. But at the same time I think he'd also need a more traditional vehicle mode for Leader class so he might need the tank treads on his back like what we saw in the pre-Titans Return line art leak. I suppose that would make him like the IDW incarnation which would make him a good fit with Overlord.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:You're absolutely right, it's not a dedicated 1987 line - with the exception of Sky Shadow, Krok and the Jumpstarters it's a dedicated 1986-1988 line. My point is that, since they were covering that era and doing the Headmasters, why NOT do the other characters who were there with them?

Mainly because these Targetmasters are not first string, super popular characters worthy of getting multiple figures within a few years. This is their one shot at a modern figure and they blew it by making them the wrong type of Master. If Hasbro should decide to do a Targetmaster themed line in 2020 do expect the Decepticon Targetmasters to be in it. Yes, they're fantastic figures, but I'm going with Takara Tomy this time for the proper Targetmaster partners.

They also said that it was kind of impossible to plan ahead to the next line, that the next line's gimmick was "Answer cloudy, ask again later" until late in Titans Return's development.

They didn't say it was impossible, they simply said they hadn't planned that far ahead. They've since learned from this mistake and have the franchise road mapped to 2021, well after Prime Wars.

You seem to have completely ignored a couple of my statements here. They have been bolded. I know that G1 Getaway is an Earth sportscar while G1 Chromedome is a Cybertronian sportscar, but TR Chromedome's car mode's tucked-in arms give it a more Earthly profile and they're both hatchbacks. I did say QUASI similar after all.

I didn't ignore them, I even pointed out that they had to use a bucket of paint to make the chest sort of have the right look which I feel compromised the figure in other areas. Also Getaway isn't a hatchback, but neither is that TR mold for that matter. Really the only thing I see quasi similar between G1 Getaway and the TR Chromedome mold is that they're both cars. They didn't have to reuse the Chromedome mold, they didn't reuse the Wolfwire or Hot Rod molds and I would have much preferred to have the rumored (and probably part of a canceled box set) Carnivac in Getaway's place.

I admit it's a shoehorning (though some here seem fine with that considering all the people wanting a Crosshairs redeco of Kup).

Ehhhh, did people really want Crosshairs to be a redeco of Kup? I think what people wanted was a new Crosshairs mold, but the expectation was for him to use the Kup mold since they're both Cybertronian trucks with short cabs. Basically people were willing to settle, but I think Orion Pax was the better choice.

Oh yes, because it makes *perfect* sense to delay Overlord, the guy the mold was mainly designed as in the first place and whose jet component's molds were ready already, in favor of Thunderwing who would require new tooling and would be a shoehorned-in retool to get more out of the mold just like Sky Shadow was (he's a kickass-looking one but he's still a shoehorn. Given that the tank component is unmistakably the Gigatank in sculpt, it's pretty obvious). Oh, wait - no it doesn't.

You realize the difference between Sky Shadow and Thunderwing are the head (or in this case the TM face plate and helmet) and chest, right? It isn't exactly a massive overhaul and it's very likely the parts already exist on the mold. I'm not saying they should have scrapped the Overload figure, just push it back a year and give him a normal head, his chest slots are perfect for sticking Prime Masters in.

And in fact, Thunderwing is actually more suited to Power of the Primes than Overlord is considering that the gimmick for Leaders in PotP is a Deluxe-size core robot combining with a larger component - that was what Thunderwing's original toy did.

Here's why that wont happen. First off all of the Pretenders are being repurposed as Decoy Suits for the Prime Masters, it's unlikely they'd let Thunderwing be an exception. Then there's the inner robot, Hasbro rarely focuses on those usually preferring to use the outer shell to represent the character. Thunderwing's inner robot is pretty bland, not exactly something Hasbro would want to make a Deluxe figure out of. If they do Thunderwing at all in PotP as a Leader he'll more likely be based on his Stormbringer incarnation giving us a Deluxe Thunderwing designed after his shell that evolves into his hulking armor. But then we have to wonder if Hasbro will be willing to give us a second Deluxe Thunderwing.

No, I don't act like only characters who have made an impact in the IDW comics are worth making toys of. I despise the IDW continuity as a whole (there are bits I like, characters I like, but the overall universe... blugh), and I dislike when Generations toys are aesthetically influenced by the pseudo-Bayformer look (that doesn't look anywhere near as good as the actual Bayformers). But if I thought the comics didn't have a significant bearing on who gets made, I'd be deluding myself. Thinking they don't play a role in promoting the toys is also delusional - plenty of comic fans also buy the toys and someone who has had pagetime and made an impression during that pagetime is probably going to be more interesting to a fan mainly concerned with the comics than someone who hasn't appeared much or done much. And some plots and body changes in the comics have been done with selling the toys in mind.

Yes, Hasbro does use the comics to cross promote the toys, but it's done so loosely that often what they do in the comics either can't be replicated by the toys like with a bunch of the stuff happening in Combiner Wars, or just barely touches on the toy theme like the Titan Return comics. The reality is only a fraction of the comic readers even buy the toys since the majority of toy buyers are still kids.

Yes, new toys of Apeface and Snapdragon would be cool. I'm not denying that. My point is that staying faithful to their essential visual design while bringing them up to the standards of modern Transformers would have been a pain in the tail, especially with Apeface (whose design is rather cluttered by the two different sets of limbs). Even more of a pain if you wanted to keep Krunk and Spasma as double-duty heads within the constraints of Titans Return (That is, all Titan Masters can fit in all helmets, cockpits, and weapons). A pain that, given the Horrorcons are both low on the nostalgic fondness chart (if my understanding of their popularity is right) and lacking in presence in recent G1-based fiction, might not even pay off.

Modern engineering can fix most of the issue you pointed out without ruining the look of the characters. As for the Titan Masters all you have to do is look at Sixshot to see how a beast mode head can be done with with a Titan Master. And since they'd be Voyagers the beast mask would be smaller and fit the TM better. It isn't as complicated as people make it out to be.

Emerje

wasn't Infinitor Leader Class size

+ putting tank treads on his back just basically turns him into Warden

K.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

Kurona wrote:Generations' approach to IDW is... strange, to say the least. You've got main characters like Chromedome, Brainstorm and Rewind who aren't molded to look like their comic selves aside from - an admittedly very beautiful and faithful - headsculpt

Actually, Chromedome's TR design was based on his IDW design seen in Shadowplay

The TR Chromedome toy is based on the G1 toy with an IDW head. It just happens that the Shadowplay chromedome also uses a similar colour scheme to the G1 toy since it represents him in an older form. Thats why they are similar, they both take cues from the same source but one is not based on the other.

Decepticon619 wrote:Has anyone ordered Trypticon from the US and shipped to Canada? What has shipping looked like?

Its not a winning situation. You can check on amazon.com and you will see that he costs $67 USD to ship to canada plus import fees

https://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Gen ... =trypticon

The esitamted total is said to be $202.31 USD so $250 CAD.

So instead here is what you do:

You buy it on Indigo with the 15% discount code applicable for this week-end only

Promo code: FORYOU15

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/to ... internal=1

So Apeface can "dock" with Sky Shadow very nicely. Makes me like the Apeface Titan Master much more.

I'm sticking by TR Chromedome being based on his appearance in Shadowplay instead of directly on his G1 design, and here's why: The original Chromdeome toy was similar in transformation to Hardhead's G1 and TR toys: The front end forms the chest while the cockpit ends up on the back, and the legs are attached to the front end despite forming part of the back. But TR Chromedome makes the hood fold onto the back and instead has a faux-hood chest designed to have the pseud-Bayformer look of the IDW chest.

Emerje wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:You're absolutely right, it's not a dedicated 1987 line - with the exception of Sky Shadow, Krok and the Jumpstarters it's a dedicated 1986-1988 line. My point is that, since they were covering that era and doing the Headmasters, why NOT do the other characters who were there with them?

Mainly because these Targetmasters are not first string, super popular characters worthy of getting multiple figures within a few years. This is their one shot at a modern figure and they blew it by making them the wrong type of Master. If Hasbro should decide to do a Targetmaster themed line in 2020 do expect the Decepticon Targetmasters to be in it. Yes, they're fantastic figures, but I'm going with Takara Tomy this time for the proper Targetmaster partners.

And who would you propose to fill the four slots that would be left empty by not making the Targetmasters?

You seem to have completely ignored a couple of my statements here. They have been bolded. I know that G1 Getaway is an Earth sportscar while G1 Chromedome is a Cybertronian sportscar, but TR Chromedome's car mode's tucked-in arms give it a more Earthly profile and they're both hatchbacks. I did say QUASI similar after all.

I didn't ignore them, I even pointed out that they had to use a bucket of paint to make the chest sort of have the right look which I feel compromised the figure in other areas. Also Getaway isn't a hatchback, but neither is that TR mold for that matter. Really the only thing I see quasi similar between G1 Getaway and the TR Chromedome mold is that they're both cars. They didn't have to reuse the Chromedome mold, they didn't reuse the Wolfwire or Hot Rod molds and I would have much preferred to have the rumored (and probably part of a canceled box set) Carnivac in Getaway's place.

Okay, you're right, he's not a hatchback, he's a fastback. But there's not much difference between a fastback and a hatchback profile-wise. It's still a rear end with the windshield sloping basically right to the back end.
No, they didn't have to reuse the Chromedome mold but they wanted to because that gave them more money and reusing somebody's mold let them add more variety to Wave 3.
Also, a "part of a box set" Carnivac wouldn't have been in anyone's place because boxsets don't count toward the regular retail cases. Breakaway makes for great custom fodder if nothing else.

Oh yes, because it makes *perfect* sense to delay Overlord, the guy the mold was mainly designed as in the first place and whose jet component's molds were ready already, in favor of Thunderwing who would require new tooling and would be a shoehorned-in retool to get more out of the mold just like Sky Shadow was (he's a kickass-looking one but he's still a shoehorn. Given that the tank component is unmistakably the Gigatank in sculpt, it's pretty obvious). Oh, wait - no it doesn't.

You realize the difference between Sky Shadow and Thunderwing are the head (or in this case the TM face plate and helmet) and chest, right? It isn't exactly a massive overhaul and it's very likely the parts already exist on the mold. I'm not saying they should have scrapped the Overload figure, just push it back a year and give him a normal head, his chest slots are perfect for sticking Prime Masters in.

First off, buddy, I didn't say you said they should have scrapped Overlord. I was explaining to you WHY DELAYING OVERLORD TO POWER OF THE PRIMES WOULDN'T HAVE MADE ANY SENSE. Yes, I realize that the difference between the original Black Shadow and Thunderwing toys is the head and chestplate. However, I also realize that the original Black Shadow and Thunderwing toys were not formed from a jet combining with a tank. TR Sky Shadow is almost as much of a shoehorning as Breakaway is and exists to get more money out of the Overlord mold. He may have come first in release but it's primarily an Overlord mold. It's just like how TR Sentinel Prime, TR Megatron, and TR Voyager Optimus exist to get more money out of the Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and Octane molds respectively, and came out ahead of the characters the molds were primarily designed as.
"it's very likely the (Thunderwing) parts already exist on the mold" Uh, why? No, seriously, why? Why is it likely for any other reason than "Emerje really wants a Leader-class Thunderwing"? There hasn't been any sign of any of the other shoehorned pretool characters having additional parts for similar characters.
"But Overlord's chest slots are perfect for sticking Prime Masters in", you say. Yeah, they are, and that's nice and all, but THAT. ISN'T. THE. GIMMICK. FOR. POWER. OF. THE. PRIMES. LEADER. CLASS. FIGURES. Pushing him back to PotP wouldn't work because He. Would. Not. Fit.

And in fact, Thunderwing is actually more suited to Power of the Primes than Overlord is considering that the gimmick for Leaders in PotP is a Deluxe-size core robot combining with a larger component - that was what Thunderwing's original toy did.

Here's why that wont happen. First off all of the Pretenders are being repurposed as Decoy Suits for the Prime Masters, it's unlikely they'd let Thunderwing be an exception. Then there's the inner robot, Hasbro rarely focuses on those usually preferring to use the outer shell to represent the character. Thunderwing's inner robot is pretty bland, not exactly something Hasbro would want to make a Deluxe figure out of. If they do Thunderwing at all in PotP as a Leader he'll more likely be based on his Stormbringer incarnation giving us a Deluxe Thunderwing designed after his shell that evolves into his hulking armor. But then we have to wonder if Hasbro will be willing to give us a second Deluxe Thunderwing.

Why's it unlikely they'd let Thunderwing be an exception? They have 19 regular Pretenders (the 1988 13 plus the somewhat smaller 1989 six), Grand Maximus, 4 Pretender Beasts, 4 Classic Pretenders, 6 Pretender Monsters, the Dinoforce, 2 Ultra Pretenders, 2 Double Pretender shell designs, and 3 Mega Pretenders to choose from. I didn't count the Pretender Vehicles, because those don't make for disguise suits now do they? But anyway, I think there's room for a few of those to be their own full figures.
The Mega Pretenders are a good fit for the Evolution gimmick, and I don't see the inner robot's blandness as an obstacle to doing Thunderwing's classic design as a PotP Leader since the point would be to take the seemingly-unassuming Deluxe and dress it up with the more badass-looking shell. There are some more reasons to do his original design as a PotP Leader as well. For one thing, the other gimmick of PotP Leaders is Matrixes and in the Marvel comics one of the major events was Thunderwing stealing the Matrix. The other reason would be that he could be retooled as a proper Black Shadow (Notice which use of the Overlord mold hasn't been slated for a Legends release? Yeah.).

Yes, Hasbro does use the comics to cross promote the toys, but it's done so loosely that often what they do in the comics either can't be replicated by the toys like with a bunch of the stuff happening in Combiner Wars, or just barely touches on the toy theme like the Titan Return comics. The reality is only a fraction of the comic readers even buy the toys since the majority of toy buyers are still kids.

My point was that page time/presence = advertising of the character, even if the comics aren't directly shilling this or that toy. And it does seem to have an impact on who gets picked to have a toy made. One of the most notable (and also most facepalm-worthy) is Shane McCarthy's God-mode Pet.. Er, sorry, I mean Drift, getting a toy. Another instance is Scoop getting a Generations toy.

Yes, new toys of Apeface and Snapdragon would be cool. I'm not denying that. My point is that staying faithful to their essential visual design while bringing them up to the standards of modern Transformers would have been a pain in the tail, especially with Apeface (whose design is rather cluttered by the two different sets of limbs). Even more of a pain if you wanted to keep Krunk and Spasma as double-duty heads within the constraints of Titans Return (That is, all Titan Masters can fit in all helmets, cockpits, and weapons). A pain that, given the Horrorcons are both low on the nostalgic fondness chart (if my understanding of their popularity is right) and lacking in presence in recent G1-based fiction, might not even pay off.

Modern engineering can fix most of the issue you pointed out without ruining the look of the characters. As for the Titan Masters all you have to do is look at Sixshot to see how a beast mode head can be done with with a Titan Master. And since they'd be Voyagers the beast mask would be smaller and fit the TM better. It isn't as complicated as people make it out to be.

Emerje

I didn't say that modern engineering couldn't fix the issues, I just said the design process to do so would be annoying. With both of them you have to work out how to make it so that the jet mode's forward fuselage can tuck in more and have a less-protruding backpack. With Apeface you also have to work out how to either consolidate his robot limbs and gorilla limbs, or at least make the robot limbs fold away more neatly in gorilla mode.It would have been a nuisance to go to (especially if they kept the Horrorcon head gimmick instead of just having separate animal heads) for a couple of guys who might not have sold too well anyway.
Apeface getting relegated to a Titan Master kinda suggests to me that they didn't want to bother.

Your Sixshot comparison is way off the wall. Sixshot's wolf head is not a "beast mask". it's a full-on separate head for the beast mode. It just happens to have a slot in the neck behind it for a Titan Master in head mode because somebody thought it would be clever to have his robot head seeing through the beast head's eyes (that and his cockpit was there anyway, on the other side of the neck). And it's also not Revolver pulling double-duty as both beast and robot heads, which is what Spasma and Krunk did. THAT is what I am saying would have been added annoyance within the constraints of Titans Return (IF it was even pursued in the event of them being picked, which is a big if) since TR was designed around standardized Headmasters and Spasma and Krunk's double-duty nature makes them anything but standard. Lets have a look at them.
Spasma:
* Beast head on the back of his body
* Apeface's robot face on back of legs
The beast head would have to squashed, made to fold up somehow, or cut short and finished out by a mask because it would be too long for some cockpits and for the seats of weapons. And the robot face on the back of the legs wouldn't have played nice with the standardized design for Titan Maser legs with the rectangular indents (which are actually made use of with some weapon combos) and the ridge.
Krunk:
* Snapdragon's robot mode head is also top of the beast head
* Legs form beast mode's jaw
* To allow the jaw to open the right way, his connector is his pelvis and his thighs are attached to his abs instead of his waist.
So he probably wouldn't have had the fit issues of Spasma, but he would still have been unconventonal and his own face might have been irritating to do.
So I still say keeping the Horrorcon head gimmick would have been an extra headache within the constraints of Titans Return. Not enough to stop Apeface and Snapdragon from being made, after all you could just ditch it and have separate beast mode heads attached to the beast mode necks. But hey, what was that you were saying about holding characters back so they could do them right? That might have been an influence. But I personally think they just took the view of "These guys would just shelfwarm anyway, why go to the bother of modernizing them?"

Zelda, I understand you're passionate about the various Generations toylines - most of us here are - but please try and be a little less aggressive in your conversations and debates. These are, after all, simply toys; not so serious a subject to get up in arms about and lose your cool over.

...****. It's too early in the morning to deal with this ****.
-edit-
Screw it. It's mostly civilised, just keep the third party **** out of here please.