Just to be sure, most are likely expecting the prototype from 2019 to be the Commander class for next year and not a different mold?

 

I feel like yes but I think it’ll have some tweaks to it, so it’s not gonna look 100% like when we first saw it.

 

Yeah, the prototype was a prototype after all, so some changes will likely be inevitable. But the art seems to indicate the same design will be used at least.

 

What would need to be changed exactly from prototype to final in this case?

 

well it would have paint, and it can also be assumed that it will exist

 

That's generally not known to us until, well, the final product comes out. That's what prototypes are for, figuring out what does and does not work.

 

There's probably some hollowing for budget, some pieces designed to be gang-molded together (ie. Do the fists go with the shins?) Part of that is dictated by material tolerances which is why SS86 Hot Rod has yellow knees or why Earthrise Optimus has gray plastic hands. Then you get the paint budget and the deco hits which can correct for some of that (ie. The blue paint on ER Optimus' hands being an example of when it can and the yellow knees and canopy hinge on Hot Rod being an example of when it can't.)

I don't think the prototype really got down to the point of assigning different materials and sprues.

As an example: What are Armada Optimus' legs going to be made out of? What type/color of plastic?

He might wind up with more or fewer hinges in his arms based on budget.

 

I'd say we can be 90% certain that any stylistic flourishes will be removed for the final version.

 

Was the prototype even able to transform? It may have just had stuff like the visible super mode hands as a kind of physical proof of concept.

 

Only time will tell is TT releases the proto.

 

The hips were noticeably two separate pieces designed to split, but that could've been more proof of concept stuff and the engineering needed wasn't actually all there.

I don't really expect the Commander to be that prototype exactly, but it does seem to be carrying over design elements going off the art at least. I'm very curious to see how those carry over to the Super Mode and if they're reworking the aesthetics there at all.

 

The proto was obviously designed to transform but because of the nature of these prototypes this actual physical figure could not. These type of prototypes usually have the joints etc glued fixed and are for display purposes only.

 

Actually ER Prime's hands were grey because the new tooling budget only allowed for two plastic colours, grey and red, and if they made his hands blue it would've made his biceps and part of the trailer blue as well.

 

Oh. Right. That's why Netflix Prime had blue biceps!

 

The same case probably goes for Hot Rod as well. Yellow was prioritized so the spoiler could be cast in yellow, otherwise if it was red or orange the spoiler would've been that as well and needed to be fully painted.

 

I seem like the only one with this opinion, but...

I really hope it's not the proto, it was very stylized, in way that negates what I liked about Bendy Prime. Bendy Prime was simplistic but in the same way a Challenger is. Bold lines. The proto introduces a lot of new design language. As if the normal Prime went super Saiyan.


But I guess that's what we're getting.
It's weird because when they redo G1 Prime they don't reinvent the styling, and they didn't do it for Override or Metroplex, but I find the prototype to be atypical in this way.

 

LOL WUT? Earthrise reinvented the style every bit as much as this.

 

You're kidding?

 

Historically, this kind of poster teaser art has been a mixed bag regarding the visual accuracy to upcoming items, so I wouldn't expect some sort of gospel truth out a piece of illustration.

 

Nope. Just as much added/changed detail. In both cases, the broad strokes of the design are there.

This is a bit more faithful to the Armada cartoon proportions than Earthrise is to the G1 cartoon proportions.