About this whole advances in technology thing..

I just kinda wonder what changed to allow such a difference in articulation between toys back in the 80's and toys now. People always say it's because of advances in technology, and sure I can buy that. but more than anything else, it looks to me the main difference, at least as far as articulation is concerned, comes from the kinds of joints used on the figures. It wasn't until G2 I believe that ball joints were introduced, and to me that just seems more like a common sense sort of addition to add a great range of movement than anything to do with technology. So how exactly has the modern wonders of the computer age made it so the toys we have now are so much better (from a technical stand point) than what we have now? I'm sure price factors into that as well, but I don't see how that changes how a lot of the improvements just kinda come from people thinking a little harder than anything else.

Engineering and toy design, like all other forms of art, build on what came before. Were not just talking about joints and such but the level of detail in sculpts and the machines that can better replicate those designs. Look at the jump in effort and design from g2 to beast wars and the BM to RID. It is also similar to what happened with other action figures after Mcfarlane toys raised the bar.

Ball joints have been around since the early 80's, maybe earlier. GI Whirl and I think some of the Deluxe Insecticons have them. Almost all Go-Bots from back then had ball joints too.

The biggest differences are better plastics and improved technology that reduce production costs for more complex figures without loss of quality or durability.

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I think it is more a case of priorities and the machinery.

The machinery would be the main factor. The equipment needed to make the small parts necessary for articulation AND transformation wasn't available cheaply at the time.

But priorities were also different. In the 80s, Transformers were just about the only major transforming toy line. The priority was on interesting transformations from a vehicle to a robot. During Generation 2, there was a shift in priorities toward "transforming action figures", toys in general got more articulated and started coming pre posed in dynamic poses (see Kenners Legends of Batman line for example, or the Spawn toys). So Transformers evolved into a line with poseability alongside transformation.

There's no denying that technology played a part. But I think until Generation 2 it was not seen as a priority either.

Kenner taking the reins for Beast Wars must have helped, too, since the Beast Wars line was more like transforming action figures than anything that had gone before.

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Originally Posted by Lance Halberd Sol Fury can be likened to a German clock. A very exact, complex, and tightly-wound precision instrument that occasionally goes cuckoo.

we've changed from bricks to ball jointss, to powerlink to cyber keys to automorph.

Originally Posted by Autovolt 127 i wished i was named after something.......like pyschopathic murderer that's be cool.

Originally Posted by ambushbug74 Well, give it time. When you become a serial killer, someone might name their kid after you. So there is still hope.

In an age where a guy can use CAD to design a very intricate mold or part, feed material choices into the program, find out from this the breakage tolerances, weight, cost, manufacturing time, surface texture; from there the guy can use the CAD package to make a virtual fully assembled version of the final product, check part movements and clearances, check final weight etc
THEN feed this information straight into a piece of manufacturing kit that will then make the design exactly as it is on CAD either in a prototype or final form then anything is possible.

I think the main change is in part tolerances and materials - heck, even 'automorph' is nothing new - G1 hound had it!

it is pure evolution. Look at how samples of drawing came about. cave paintings-egyptian drawings-renaissance-modern life renderings

I know that is very simplistic. But you get the idea. drawing life like images didnt just start at the beginning. it took the experience of the past to realize that style.

Originally Posted by ultraconvoy I been after this toy for years and i have every right to brag and celebrate.

I agree. Experience over time, new ideas and more inovative engineering is what brought MP's, Classics and the unfortunatley shelved Universe line (does Hasblow really know what their doing) to the fan table.