You're allowed to be critical of Fansproject's designs. Everyone here acknowledges they've made aesthetic choices that don't appeal to everyone. What's not helpful is saying your opinions are better than others'.

 

That joke was in bad taste. I agree.

So you just throw away all of the contrasting between forums? Great. We're back to square one then. All this bias towards 3rd party products.

 

What?

 

There was nothing said about throwing away your opinion. There is just nothing constructive about saying that it holds more worth than the opinion of someone else.

 

I don't even see what you are getting at anymore. You're coming across as "It's not Geewun" from what you've stated in this thread so far with the whole "defining features" thing, but thinking your making a critiquing point and because some people don't mind the lighter homage they're biased? That's what I'm getting from your posts. I don't think that's the point your are trying to make now that you are going "well lol you guys don't see what I see so you're totally biased." So what exactly are you trying to say?

And blind fanboyism is certainly not happening all over to begin with. I love FP's work and am quick to heavily support them, but I don't turn a blind eye to a given figure's faults that I perceive. Nothing they have released has been perfect. Nothing anyone has released has. I'm the first to pick at anything I see that bothers me too. Let's go through a list of my negatives with just FP stuff.

Defender - In dire need of heels, transformation is way to overt, legs don't break up well, knee joints, gap in chest from head storage, gap in back from altmode windshield, loose fitting guns in the right hand.

Backfirey - Alt mode doesn't hide the hands well, wings don't lock in place in any position, insect head just folds back as kibble, insect arms don't store anywhere, grasshopper legs don't look right.

Stormbomb -Alt mode doesn't hide hands, torso skirt piece doesn't lock and is fiddly, chain doesn't have a proper storage space, weapons don't peg in well for their proper shoulder storage, shoulder pads like to go all over the place, insect legs don't fold up well and like to pop off. The weapon legs in bug mode are hard to do anything with, block legs get in the way of one another, no wrist swivels.

Thundershred-Arms aren't hidden in alt mode, theighs don't sit level in alt mode, there is a gap in the back between the the legs in alt mode, plastic chest, insect legs on robot legs don't lock anywhere, feet are over engineered for transformation, no wrist swivels, yellow chest piece is more of a sheen of yellow and not matte.

And some thoughts on unreleased stuff.

SteelCore - Off color minicon dude from rest of the main body, hips seem to sit too low from the torso, doesn't appear to be wrist swivels, gap in chest when minicon guy isn't there, minicon guy doesn't appear to have balljoints for arms.

 

It's exactly what I said. Inconsistency on how the same exactly people react differently when it comes to 3rd party products in comparison to retail.

- Screen accuracy
- Pricing
- I'll even add plastic quality

Every flaw here on this side of the fence is quite minor compared on how heavily criticized retail ones are even if they are more accurate and less expensive. That's the bias I keep seeing here.

example: People are not happy about minor things like HA Leadfoot's gut for example. Not screen accurate. Enough for a lot of people to actually mod it or mistransform it.

While over here all of a sudden these same people are magically and suddenly okay with toys that don't look like what they are suppose to be and would even defend it or become ticked off at the mere mention of it. Let's say MT constructicons, with the exception of scrapper and mixmaster, all of a sudden it's quite alright. From the misplacement of hook's shovel to the entire look of longhaul. All of a sudden it's forgivable. It's even defined as a new look for them.

An overly used defense for these is that it's not meant for classics while most will display them with it or classics don't have a show to compare it with there these are meant to be in their classics displays. Then I'll see that same poster and comment about how G1 RTS Jazz is.

You'll see tons of threads complaining about price increases in retail while they are happily paying 10X or 20X for more for these products.

Parts breaking here is defended as if it won't happen to many. We all know how to handle our toys and probably handle them with care but when it comes to breaking parts on let's MP Roddy, its as if it was a plague where each and everyone of them are like that.

 

I have to disagree. People complain less about hasbro figures because they are simply $10-$30 purchases. To most this really is an amount of money that they can throw down and not be upset if it doesn't match.

As many high end collectible owners know either through experience or research the more complex a figure is the higher chances are of something being breakable. Which is why its an adult collectible figure. Its something that comes with the territory and you either accept it or don't.

Just one reason I can think of for people being ok with MT's scrapper (as per your example) is that most of us accept that its not supposed to be exactly like G1. Its in the same vein as FP and many people like myself really dig the design theme. You seem to be one of the people stuck in the mindset of if its supposed to be X character its supposed to look as much like them as passable which many other don't feel this way.

 

I said with the exception of scrapper and mixmaster. Meaning the other four are okay in their eyes whilst complaining about minor screen inaccuracies on some of the retail ones. They don't look anything like the constructicons we all know.

There are tons of threads on complaining on pricing. There's a recent one with target's price hike.

 

1.) I expect Hasbro Transformers to be more of a direct homage to THEIR OWN FIGURES than a company who's making homages with an aesthetic to match THEIR own figures.

2.) Retail figures are always going to be sold be retailers at a cheaper price point. Third party companies don't have money to give to retailers for carrying their products, that retailers can then pay forward to the consumers by lower prices.

3.) You're literally the only person I see go on and on about plastic quality on either side of the fence. At the same time, though, although you've asked others to, I've also never seen you do any sort of testing to even tell the difference between plastics.

As for the rest... I absolutely agree. I feel that a lot of lee way is given in terms of quality and breakage: Especially to FP. But, a lot of that has to do with them putting a major focus in giving collectors those core characters with a nice aesthetic.

And, that leeway goes both ways. Do you think that fans aren't going to be giving MP Soundwave that same preferential treatment on flaws? Shit dude... if you do, then I've got a bridge to sell you.

 

3rd party companies are defined by that. It's not their own. A third party which can give me (2nd party) that the official manufacturer (the first) can not.

I bought Herc because they would look great on my transformers display not another toy line. more specifically as other have stated classics if you want to be more accurate.

You'll see people even argue that these toys are classicsesque.

These inconsistencies in the forums are there. Very taboo if you ask me. You'll read them as snide comments here and there.

Saying MT constructicons fit the classics bill is as preposterous as a saying a stock combined Herc does. Both have misgivings on major key features. Both sides have this air of arrogance in saying that neither has these flaws which is quite laughable.

 

People critique 3rd party and Hasbro differently because they are different.

We expect retail toys to be inexpensive (because of their economy), accurate (because it's Hasbro's IP), robust (because they're designed to take some abuse by their target consumer). The list goes on. For all intents and purposes, what Hasbro makes is the standard.

With third party groups, we take what we can get. Prices are higher because they operate differently. We understand there's some variation in design because they aren't Transformers (TM), and in cases like Fansproject, it's done intentionally. Even among the numerous third party groups, there isn't a standard third party template.

Apples and oranges.

 

I think FPC has completely changed that perception of that company at this point.

And, from the looks of things, these characters coming up are the ones that have been throughout their comics this whole time.

Best bait-and-switch ever.

 

First and again - same people - who? Since I barely step on the regular TF forum because aside from MP and bit of Prime mostly all current Hasbro releases scheduled look cheap compared to the upcoming 3rd partty releases in my want list.

If let´s say, new FoC Jazz looked at least as good as Generations Jazz - which it is far off from - I woulçdn´t complain and would pay even more. Same as I would pay more for MP sideswipe as it is.

The reason why people pay higher and are more tolerant to 3rtd party toys is that when one doesn´t look screen accurate is mostly because of a design choice which CAN make it look better in someways to SOME people.

Usually when a Has/Tak product is not screen accurate it is just to cut costs or because of safety laws, just check Knockout toy.

I remember that my last post in the official toy forum was about Jet vehicon not looking a lot like in the show for alt mode, but the issue was not screen accuracy per se, it was because to me the show model looked much better preoportioned with bigger wings and sort of dual nosecone section.

Ig the toy model were the show model and vice versa, I would commend the toy far more and still welcome the fact that it wasn´t show accurate because it would look BETTER.

One thing is improving on style, the other thing is messing the look to make it cheaper. Specially when the price I pay has no reflection of the money saved.

 

Of course there is, because they've earned it. I'm pretty stingy all told with my cash and will rarely buy a Hasbro Deluxe without reading/watching at least 3 reviews. But Fansproject has earned a repututation for well built, well engineered toys meaning I'm far more likely to jump on their stuff if I like what I see. I probably will preorder Assaulter, which for me is huge.

And bias is part of the fun here. We all have favorite figures we are biased towards and get up in arms about. For some folks here in this thread it's City Commander or Colossus. For me it's Generations Warpath, a Hasbro deluxe of all things. I'd argue if you don't like that toy you don't like Transformers with a straight face as I think he's the definition of perfect.

 

^
Ah. That is true even for me. Combiners and triple changers are my weak spots. A very good argument.

As for the comment on 3rd party things have been changing for the better. Where toyworld is going is where I see the future of third party.

Process: Yes, that's quite obvious. However critiquing these missing key features will be there. It's not a style nor any other excuses given here, 3rd party will always cater to the same fans in this board, transformers. Comparisons are quite inevitable as long they are here not in their own toy boards with their own toys.

 

This is true, which is why I hope FP, which has toys which are certainly not TF homages among their line, should put up a forum or comunity soon.

 

FPC is just another way for them to infringe. A separate entity where design cues are taken from the fans (transformers) from the manufacturer... If you remember our conversation about it in that thread you know where my stance is on that. Pure fucking genius.

 

I am still believing it is the other way around as I´ve posted a few pages back, TF being just a step for them to shove their own desiogns into a pre estabilished fanbase for similar products, whitout knowing a lot of TF fans will entangled on their original fiction and products and we wil see a lot of suggestions related to dream characters we all have bit TF never sprouted or done the way we wanted even in fiction, much less in toys.

By then they can throw away most of the TF homages and just stay with vague design cues from TF, nothing that other mecha franchises doesn´t do regularly :3

This would be cool because I trust my TF needs on the hands of other companies such as MC, PE and Toyworld, so having one do tottally new characters with fan input possibilities is quite neat, specially if they don´t give in to the whole "copy TF plizzzz" begging and only listen to things which are more constructive to their original products (easily done via polls or art contests rather than free wording from fans  ).

 

I see your point but always in tandem never alone. The mecha industry is literally full of giants. The furthest I can see FPC go is if they infringe upon other mechas while putting in their own "style". I imagine if they incorporate multiple transforming might I add recognizable ones into their "own", this will blow away everyone's minds. Kinda like how I felt with Capcom's VS. games.

 

i hope fansproject moves away from infringing and moves to making their own robots. They have proven themselves to make quality transforming robot toys, and have won me and several others in as their customer base. If they can take their skills and make their own fiction and own characters and continue to make fantastic toys, i'll gladly support them.

seriously, the direction fansproject seems to be heading is really awesome to me and i am really excited for what they have coming out. They got my attention more than any other 3rd party company