GU-11
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Since Hasbro hasn't officially released any written statements regarding the size and complexity of the DOTM toys, both theories aren't any more or less valid than the other. However, I do recall an interview Hasbro reps did for their DOTM toyline, and their answer to whether the reduced size was due to cost-saving, was candid "no." Of course, whether the rep is telling the truth or not is another story. I think the interview is somewhere in the Seibertron forum; you can try to find the article if you want. Whatever the case, the DOTM toys were smaller because they wanted to keep prices the same, whether it's due to cost of materials or that they needed to sacrifice plastic from the main fig for the weapon. Honestly, I don't want to argue about the complexity thing, because it's really a matter of opinion. I like the complexity of the ROTF figs, and the separate parts makes the figs look more accurate and "movie-esque" to me personally, though they're more of a hassle to you. IMO, movieverse designs are super complex, and I feel the extra parts add to the aesthetic of the fig. A lot of people complained about leader class Optimus' complex transformation, but he had to be that complex in order for his toy to look as close as possible to the CG model. Truth is, no single product is going to please everyone and I'm all too aware of that. I like the ROTF line's complexity, while others complain about it. I don't like the simplification of the DOTM transformations, but other love it. And that's fine. But enough about DOTM and the movie line. I'm just looking forward to seeing how the Fall of Cybertron line turns out. Hopefully, now that Hasbro's designers are now at least partially involved in designing the characters, there will be less of an issue when it comes to screen accuracy. That seems to be the case. Takara seems to target the adult collectors more than kids. The Masterpiece line and DMK kits are definitely more for adults than kids. Hasbro, on the other hand, focuses primarily on children. That said, I like that the Hasbro guys still care enough about adult collectors who grew up on TF's to toss us a bone or two in the form of Generations, Classics and RTS.
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I don't hate Mechteh per se, but what it indirectly caused. Because they wanted to keep the DOTM prices the same as the ROTF line, some sacrifices were made to the main toy, as in less moving parts and smaller toy size. As I understand it, Hasbro/Takara designers have a predetermined amount of separate, moving parts and amount of plastic they could use to design a TF. Now the plastic and moving parts for the mechtech gadget had to come from somewhere if they weren't willing to add to the allowed amount of plastic and parts, and it came from the main figure. If they gave us DOTM toys with the same size and complexity of the ROTF/Generations toys, even if it's at a slightly higher price, I wouldn't have a bone to pick with mechtech. I've never bought Armada figs, so I'm not going to argue on that. Then again, I think you're right on this one, as the pics I've seen of the line were pretty awful.
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It's sad to see what the TF franchise has devolved into lately. AFAIC, the DOTM line's mechtech travesty was the worst thing that has happened to TF. As bad as the ROTF movie was, the toys from that movie were pretty well engineered and probably the best movieverse line Hasbro has to offer [Leader Class Optimus, nuff said.] And then Hasbro gets a few emails from overly-protective parents claiming that their toys were too complex for little Jimmy to play with [that's what the instructions sheets are for, people], everything started turning into sh!t. Dwarfed toy sizes, oversimplified transformations, poor paint apps.... My hopes were rekindled somewhat when the first edition TF Prime figures came out, only to be canceled and replaced by "weaponizers" and what have you. The leader class TF Prime Optimus I had been so looking forward to no longer appeals to me nearly as much, not if its arm is made of clear plastic that lights up. What with the Fall of Cybertron line still a mystery and Generations on indefinite limbo, Figma and Hot Toys are destined to be making a whole lot more money from me.
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Yeah, there is the question of Japanese prices plus shipping. And with the way they're treating the TF Prime line, I'm getting increasingly concerned about the proposed FOC game tie-in figures. Please, Hasbro; no more silly-ass gimmicks at the cost of aesthetics. Save those for the kiddie Gravitybot/FAB/legends figs where they belong.
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Well, at least there's still the Takara first editions. Or are those canceled, too?
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That doesn't sound good. I was hoping to pose Deunan in really crazy crouching poses. Then again, I should've known, judging by the tight rubber pants. It was one of the reasons why I skipped the HT Batman figs; poor articulation due to the rubber suits.
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Again with the light-up gimmicks. And now they've got transparent plastic limbs that light up. The only "Safe" ones to pick up now are the deluxe aka flashers revealers class Soundwave and Vehicon. Any figure with a clear plastic limb, no matter how much I like the character, if off the list.
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Thanks, Kicker. At least there seems to be no inherent problems with the figs themselves. Still, there's always the possibility that the guy's figs might have some other kind of defect. I'll have to ask the guy to send some pics of the figs to me, posed next to a handwritten note with his username on it.
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What's this world coming to when adults can't post the word "sh!t", but in two of the three Transformers movies which is meant for family consumption, you can hear characters say the F word?
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How's the rubber holding up? There's this guy I know from another board who's aching to sell his Appleseed figs to me, but I heard that there are flaking issues with the suits, and that they kind of hamper articulation. I've always wanted to buy some Appleseed figs, but the way the guy kept pushing them at me made me suspicious.
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Hot Toys is the Rolls Royce of 1/6 figures these days. The 1/6 scale weapon replicas they make are amazing; movable slide, removable magazine, detailed bullet in the chamber.
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Thanks, that's sounds like a reasonably simple process and looks like it can yield some good results. I hope to be able to start working on it soon, maybe after practicing a bit on some junkers or scrap pieces of plastic.
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The rotors will come from the spider legs, and the back half of the chopper will probably be formed by the legs and/or waist kibble. I don't care much for the spider mode either, since it's pretty much a mermaid with spider legs on her back. Then again, seeing as how she transforms into her helicopter mode, it's just a matter of only transforming the back end of her helicopter mode while leaving the torso and spider legs untouched. Unlike the movies, I heard that the TF Prime designs were either done in collaboration with Hasbro's designers or exclusively by them, which means the bots can be more easily made into toys. Same for WFC, I think.
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"Rinne no LAGRANGE": Coming in Jan 2012.
GU-11 replied to Renato's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Not exactly my cup of tea. I like that they're trying something new, but there's something about them I don't like. The first word that come to mind when I saw these designs were...pretzel-formers. -
Still waiting for them to announce the BRS bike.
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What Current Anime Are You Watching Version v4.0
GU-11 replied to wolfx's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Wow, those two figuarts figs look nice. That quirky-looking chick in the yellow Bruce Lee jumpsuit looks interesting. Who's she? -
Takara solicitations confirms Airachnid as a deluxe fig [designated RID Airachnid] and the alt mode is definitely a chopper. It remains to be seen if she'll be getting a third altmode as a spider, but it's pretty likely, since if just involves wrapping her legs in some kibble to create some sort of fishtail.
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Ain't that the truth. Ruined a few dry-transfrer decals trying to adjust the angle--damn thing just stuck to the surface, and I haven't even applied any pressure.
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Really? 450 for the kit? Even the most expensive PG kits are just around $300, more or less. I don;t know what the market price is for customized kits, but that is a lot of cash.
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Wow, so many ways to paint it, and only one kit to try it all on. I guess I'll go with the simpler black base coat and drybrushed steel and silver/chrome. BTW, and I think this has been answered before but I can't find the post, but will the steel and chrome layers melt into each other if I drybrush them one on top of the other? Sorry if it sounds like a repeated question, but I know nothing about handbrushing and the nature of paints--spray cans were the only medium I used until now. Thanks again!
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Thanks for the advice, Mechamaniac. I understand that dry-brushing is usually to get a chipped-paint effect. But for the DMK-01 Optimus kit, I'm looking to get a worn metal look just like in the CG model. Do you recommend dry-brushing or just spraying with chrome silver?
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Yeah, the mass production version seems to be the safest so far.
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A thousand thanks for the tips, Mechtech! So it's normal consistency for the base coat, and several thinner layers for the subsequent ones. What about drybrushing for metallic effects? Is it okay to thin metallic paints? Thing is, I don't know it it's okay to thin the silver paints I'll be drybrushing onto the base coat. Unfortunately, they no longer sell Tamiya enamel paints at my place, so I'm stuck with acrylics.
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If you do decide to get the Batwing, please do post pics. It's something I doubt I'll ever get my hands on. Even if I had the cash, I wouldn't have the space for it.
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Of course, touching up the sprue marks and panel lining are necessary. It's just that since MG Gundam kits are so precise in the color of their plastic parts, you can forgo painting them up--even with just a layer of matte topcoat, and they will still look good. That said, nothing beats a proper coat of paint, but since Archer seems hesitant to invest the time and money on paint and equipment, the matte-coat-on-bare-plastic route is the way to go for him. As for the swirls, a few layers of matte coat will take care of them. It worked perfectly for my Exia. at least.