We all know that a large majority people in the transformers toy community care about accuracy and scale in their transformers. Well I don’t but, other people do. But what about how a figure transforms, does that matter? Should a figure’s transformation be accurate to the toy/cartoon for the ones in where it could be feasible to make a cartoon accurate transformation. Does it affect a figure if an Optimus doesn’t transform like an Optimus, or a megatron doesn’t transform like a megatron? Does this even matter to people? Have I just created a pointless thread? Who knows,
For the most part, I don't care how it transforms, just as long as it does and I don't have to flex one part around another and tabs tab in securely. The only thing I do like to see is the Optimus Prime shoulders back, arm in movement from animation and the G1 toy.
As long as the toy isn't unreasonably fiddly when going from point A to B in transformation I'm okay with it. I prefer intuitive over fiddly. Also the less time consuming the better. Toys that have a good balance of less fiddlyness and won't take up too much time are Titans Return toys, Alternator/Binaltech Sideswipe and Transformers Classics.
I don't necessarily care if a toy transforms the same way as it does on the show, but how it transformers is extremely important, it's the tactile and interactive part of the toy. Some of the best figures transform in a way that's fun, evokes something about the character, and if we're lucky, like they do on the show.
Absolutely for me. I've moved away from MP and certain 3P companies because overly engineered toys I never bother picking up.if they're packaged in alt mode some of them I've never bothered transforming after watching video tutorials. Siege has the perfect balance between aesthetic, play pattern and transformation for me. Fiddleformers for the win. I'm also not a big fan of cheats, like false cockpit, false roofs, false radiators, so some Siege toys have lost points from me on that. Most important rule for me is that figures should be packaged in alt mode! The first transformation should be fun and changing a vehicle by unfolding it into a bipedal form is almost always more intuitive and easy than collapsing a robot back down and lining parts up just right, and it should be a reveal. Seeing the toy in robot mode in the box is probably better marketing, but for me it kills any sense of surprise (although with internet preorders, show reveals, transformation previews and video reviews, I think were sometimes burned out on a figure before we even get them). Hmm, having reread the above I've just realised I'm a grumpy old man.
Depends on the figure. For me, MPs are PRIMEarily for display only with some playing with in robot mode. I typically don’t transform these. Cheaper stuff like siege, a fun transformation is a plus, but honestly, I still choose based first in character, then on appearance.
I don't really care how it gets from point A to point B, but I do want it to be intuitive and not a huge, frustrating pain in the ass. I honestly love it when they give us a (for example) G1 Optimus that transforms differently but still hits all the standard design cues we expect.
I wished every figure could be as awesome as MP Ultra Magnus - looks great in both modes, and the transform is really fun. But a transformation won't deter me from a purchase.
I dont mind complex transformations, but if you make it super complex. I better not be seeing gaps all over the place. I like clean looking bots with good fit and finish.
Honestly, it's something I've never even considered. I don't usually pay close attention to the transformation process when watching a show. As long as it isn't too convoluted, I'm happy. Ideally, transformation should be just complex enough to make it interesting. If the transformation is too much of a pain in the butt, it's going end up sitting there in one mode and I wouldn't get much enjoyment out of it.
I like fun transformations and consider the process to be the most interesting aspect of these toys. I also like complex transformations as long as they are relatively smooth and do not require any tremendous force or bending of parts. I think MP28 Hot Rod has one of the neatest transformations in my collection. And Studio Series Dropkick (chopper version) for all of his charming derp in bot mode has a really unique and interesting transformation...and a perfect alt mode. TFP FE Bulkhead gets bonus points for his mass-shifting magic (they stuffed a lot of robot into a relatively small vehicle mode).
I'm not picky on the "How", though I'll say I have certain likes in a transformation scheme that I'm always happy to see and some dislikes as well. One of the biggest reasons I have no love for the Siege Seeker mold is that it follows the tiresome trend of jetformers where the robot just loosely folds up and then the backpack is the entire alt. mode. Whether it's to make the robot mode look better or whatever the reason could be, I loathe that design principle. (Some fembots follow this too much too, since they often prioritize looking like models than actually being Transformers, and just shunt all the alt mode into a backpack.) Faux parts don't bother me, as long as they're not just horrendously silly. Though the only case I recall in particular with that was one of the movie Jazz legends toys, where the faux grill was on the roof of the vehicle mode just staring at you. I know they're often done to better capture looks since we can't warp things as well as animation models can. As someone into super robot stuff, a toy where I can save the head reveal for last gets a ton of bonus points. That's always what I love as the final moment of springing to life, so if I can pull that off, I'm happy.
I'm not real particular on how it transforms when it comes to whether it's show accurate. I'd rather have a good looking figure with a transformation that can accommodate for that look. I also love fun transformations but what I have an issue with is when the transformation is so complicated, it kills the fun factor. I don't mind having a fun figure with a simpler transformation vs one that is just overly frustrating.
I tend to be picky. For example, I didn't like turning the waist of MP1 Optimus Prime, and I don't like how so much of the cab mode of MP44 collapses into his legs.
These are for all intents and purposes puzzle toys. So long as it’s fun, it shouldn’t matter beyond that.
Usually, if the bot mode and vehicle mode are good I’m not too picky about how creative/uncreative the transformation is. However I do truly appreciate innovative and well-designed transformations. Faux parts I am not a fan of. I find them distracting and I think if they can’t get something like say a car roof to form the chest in bot mode then they shouldn’t design the bot mode with a roof chest ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
An engaging transformation is what bumps a figure from good to great for me. Can be complicated, can be simple, long as it's interesting. I'll take a figure with two good modes and a slightly frustrating or boring transformation; I'll love a figure that takes me on a fun little jaunt between modes.
I like interesting and fun transformations - like it's easy to see that the designers put thought into how things flip about and sort of 'Rubik's Cube' their way from bot to alt and back, but it's never frustrating. Titans Return Wheelie, Mindwipe (the way the wings become the legs), the Triggerhappy mold, Brainstorm, Megatron (I know it's a 'pre-mold', but I'm still super impressed with what's going on as it goes between all three modes), etc.. On a 3P note, I really like the way the Fansproject Dinobots have plenty of nods to the G1 toy's transformation ques. Things like that. If it happens to be 'show accurate' while being fun and inventive, that's just icing on the cake to me. Nice topic, too
....and I think it depends on how you most enjoy your figures. Do you get them to display, and only go between modes every so often? Do you like to fiddle around with them more? I've found that I enjoy...both. I like having my Masterpiece collection of figures that look the best, but I like figures like G1 and Generations that I like to fiddle around with from time to time.
