Do you like/dislike combiners that "pants-form"?

Discussion in 'Transformers 3rd Party Discussion' started by Prince Raw D, Feb 29, 2020.

  1. Hougangkid

    Hougangkid Constructicon Worker

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    Screw pants, even to this day, they can't even solve partsforming FEET.

    Seriously, how difficult is it to design the leg bots to stand on its own?

    I think a lot of the MP crowd need their combiners to be slaves to the G1 look to match the rest of their collection, but as I don't collect MP, I welcome modern updates to our combiners. Pantsforming on non-MP scale combiners is a no-no, there's no excuse.
     
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  2. Deepsea

    Deepsea Well-Known Member

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    I don't collect MP scale figs, so I don't have a horse in this race. This does remind me though that I miss non-mp scaled 3p figs being more common. I'd love to see some more intense aesthetic combiners. (Reply if you know of any in the pipeline)
     
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  3. Maximus Danz

    Maximus Danz Trying to achieve something

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    I like the pants, it makes them look much better and cohesive.
    I'm someone who mainly does chug and I must say, I wish CW did something like this, Superion, Defensor, and Bruticus were good but Mensor WAS TRASH and could have been better with this method of combiners. I think the MMC is just proportionally wonky and doesn't really work in terms of scale.

    So yeah, Pants.
     
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  4. Tonyshotz

    Tonyshotz Well-Known Member

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    Pro-Pants Party all the way! I want good looks and stability as top priority.
     
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  5. bellpeppers

    bellpeppers A Meat Popsicle

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    I don't even know what 'pants'forming is.
     
  6. Maximus Danz

    Maximus Danz Trying to achieve something

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    Quads and the chest of the combiner is a separate piece with the team leader transforming into a square to fit in.
    [​IMG]
    The gray is the parts formed piece.
     
  7. tabtiurf

    tabtiurf Chimeracon

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    The first historical instance of pants-forming was Warbotron bruticus. The combined mode's hips and thighs and knee joints were all contained in a separate piece that was not part of Onslaught. As a bonus, it transformed into a trailer extender for Onslaughts altmode.

    Where it really caught on was toy world's Devastator. In addition to the usual devy kibble, this kit includes a separate piece that forms the hips and thighs, but does not turn into anything for use in any other mode. When not combined, it looks like a disembodied pair of short pants. Hence the name.

    This received pushback from some and praise from others, for all the reasons you can see in this thread, but is actually grounded in G1. People tend to forget that original Devastator had a separate hip piece as well, although it didn't really resemble pants.

    After splitting with TW, zeta produced a Bruticus that also utilized pants and then a superion who took the idea a step further and included the chest plate, head and combiner ports all on a single piece.

    This has reached its zenith with the various 3p mp Menasors, all of whom use a combiner body that contains almost all of Menasor's torso and limbs with motormaster just folding up and plugging into the back.

    So really, there have only ever been 3 pants-formers. Warbotron Bruticus, TW Devy and Zeta Bruticus. Zeta Superion and the Menasors take it to a whole other level.
     
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  8. Murasame

    Murasame 村雨

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    no
     
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  9. Tigerkaiser

    Tigerkaiser Well-Known Member

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    Definitely "Pants Party" over here. I have my robots to display them in robot mode, and I love the cartoon accurate ones (I know not everyone does), so if doing it in this way gets me a cartoon accurate Bruticus/Superion/Menasor etc then I am all for it
     
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  10. boomerdave

    boomerdave Owns three Ditka figures. O_o Veteran

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    I'm fine with it if it makes a better combined mode (better looking, more stable). Most of the original G1 figures were ALL partsforming so I don't get the whole thing that it needs to be eliminated completely. Limited, sure (don't use it for an excuse for lazy engineering) but again, if it benefits from it, go for it.
     
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  11. ProtectronPrime

    ProtectronPrime Subjectively Objective

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    Same. I wish 3P companies would allow me to do stuff with the pants parts when everyone is in component mode (gun emplacement, MARB, some other kind of work vehicle, breakdown into weapons, etc.) but since I largely display in combined mode it doesn't matter to me THAT much.
     
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  12. Alteron_Sheng

    Alteron_Sheng 'Tis an Kitbasher & Elder TFW2005 Supporter

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    Not to my tastes, especially if the pants/torso just sit off to the side and don't transform into a trailer or the like...
    But that's just my taste, and it just means I don't buy them. I am glad that the option is there for those who DO like it though.

    I just wish it wasn't treated as a zero sum game, I guess. Yeah, have the option/pants for those who prefer it, but also have pants-free options for those who prefer THAT. no reason to make it a 'the only style made should be the one I prefer' to my mind ^^
     
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  13. ProtectronPrime

    ProtectronPrime Subjectively Objective

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    Yeah, unfortunately the mindset of "my way is the best way" plagues a small but vocal minority of any fanbase. It's... tiring to say the least and only serves to drive the more reasonable and accepting fans away.
     
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  14. Scottboom

    Scottboom Well-Known Member

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    For me, it depends on the combiner and the extent of the parts forming. I understand that combiners have almost always had some parts forming parts so, within reason, I don't mind that. But I do think the pants forming so many third parties are doing (and really more than that in many cases) is a bit much. It's part of what I like so much about what MMC is doing. While I realize the scale will be all wrong, they're working some magic with their all built in Bruticus.
     
  15. bellpeppers

    bellpeppers A Meat Popsicle

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    Put me down for the less parts forming the better.
     
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  16. Meister61

    Meister61 Starscreams Ghost

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    Cuz torso bots were dinobot sized? How is the scale of individual bots right?
     
  17. Taziir

    Taziir Well-Known Member

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    As a British collector, this statement and this whole thread reads VERY differently. :lol 

    But to answer the OP's intended question, hell no to Trouser-formers.


    Pants-formers.... :lolol 
    I think I reverted to a 6 year old child.
     
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  18. Hougangkid

    Hougangkid Constructicon Worker

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    In your case, does that mean Optimus Prime is a lorry, then? :p 
     
  19. Taziir

    Taziir Well-Known Member

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    Only for half the time, but Lorry Not Monkey doesn't have the same ring about it!
     
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  20. ProtectronPrime

    ProtectronPrime Subjectively Objective

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    How about Lorry not Loris?
    [​IMG]
     
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