What about when they do have swivels but the way the figure is molded prevents the swivels from actually being able to move? It's pretty rare, most of the time it's just a straight cut threw so the swivels are free to do whatever but I've seen a few figures molded to have a layered look which can look good if it's done right but more often when this happens that layered look ends up hindering the articulation that it's built onto almost to the point of that swivel practically not even existing. I can see the mushroom peg as the only evidence that the joint is there but it's not going to move.
When a figure has interesting transformation for half of it, and then the rest just kind of sits there. For example, Siege Hound, with his arms and head just chillin' in vehicle mode.
They originally did it with MP-1 to give him a cartoon waist instead of just the truck bumper. I agree they should've ironed out the side effects by now though.
Exposed-Hand Syndrome (maybe someday we will find a cure) Wide torsos and swivel shoulders. A losing combination. Minicon sockets (looking at you CW Megatron!)
Have we done click-type hip joints which only allow the 'splits' and 'akimbo' leg positions? Bonus if the feet either have no ankle tilts and thus can't sit flat, or are specifically shaped with tilted soles so the toy couldn't stand straight even if the hips allowed?
I hate it when there is only one hinged plastic arm holding the whole toy together. It makes me nervous every time that I try to convert the figure. Examples include T30th Jetfire, PotP Jazz, and CW Brawl. There may be others, but I can't think of them right now.
When weak plastic is used on tight joints (or whatever they're called, I'm tired). Only two come to mind: Wolfwire's canopy and Bruticus' chest fin.
Partsforming is the only thing that's made me both sell figures and made me skip over figures that looked great in both modes. To me if you have to take it apart to transform it then it's not really a transformer. They're supposed to be alive, right? It breaks the fantasy for me. Even as a kid I thought omega supreme's "alt mode" was idiotic. He basically fell apart to transform. I also hate bots with two alt modes like Overlord and Flywheels. I'm totally cool with duocons who use two bots to make one alt mode though. That's actually a cool idea! Of course if it's a weapon then it's totally OK, although figures get super bonus points for having either integrated weapons or good weapon storage in alt mode. With combiners it really is a grey area since some integrate the hands and feet and stuff well and some don't.
The means of trying to transform both "Thrilling 30/Legends" Rattrap and Jetfire. Even following each step just to transform these did not help save it from the fun-killing attempts required to do just that. In the end of it all, I would have preferred putting on stickers on an Omega Supreme and master his transformation sequences than try again with those two toys.
Fiddly friction tabs, especially with modern shoddy QC where you end up with a tab too big (or too small) for it's receiving gap. Miss the old days when you could count on everything to peg together solidly. it's been awhile since i had them out, but i remember the new-mold Car Robot figures, which had very fiddly transformations, but everything locked together well. I was just looking at TR Slugslinger and he made me realize even more what a joke Siege Starscream looks like. There's just no excuse for a $30 voyager with that much alt mode volume and that is not suffering the engineering necessity of being a combiner to have the entire robot mode awkwardly hanging off the underside and back.
big agreement. only time i can accept shit like that is if the weapon can be conceivably hidden in alt mode. ss dropkick, gen springer, mp10, mp soundwave... i also don't like the split alt mode thing except for with overlord. he's supposed to he a super soldier in every continuity, so it seems believable that he'd have the self control to somehow remotely operate his legs separately.
So is his consciousness in both halves, or just in the jet part? Or just in the tank part? How does he think when he's split in half? I love the character, but the alt modes just don't do it for me. Glad you like it though cause there are some pretty dope-ass Overlord figures out there that I'd probably get if he had a better alt mode. Do you mean fully articulated fingers with several joints, or anything that's not a static fist?
Was transforming some of my figures today and came to the conclusion that I'm not a fan of clear "glass" windows & windshields in alt mode, especially if there's clearly visible robot parts inside (like both SS Bumblebees). I'd prefer at least slightly tinted (like SS Ironhide) even if it's not 100% screen accurate
POTP jazz is so true, this may be rare with hasbro transformers but if they put a piece of metal or diecast as that arm that is holding their torso together i thought it would be more safe