Or do they make really good modern articulated versions of classics transformers characters...

only to leave off the key defining aesthetics of those characters.

For example(the main example/problem).... heads/faces or head sculpts matter very much to the look of a bot or character. Yet the are commonly getting close but missing with the characters face/head. Ultra Magnus, Springer for example...

Other Key things... like Bombshell's cerebro launcher has a specific look but is changed in the FP version. Shrapnel's Pinchers/mandibles as well. Broadside's oval cockpit. etc...

I could get even more nit picky but I think these are the main problems.

They are so close in so very many things only to fall flat with these very key defining features. I feel like I'm paying premium price for a 3rd party item that is so close only throw more money at another 3rd party to come in and correct the flaws (Igear Magnus/Spoonman's insecticon addons). And yes I know they can't throw an Autobot or Decepticon insignia on them.

Because of this I easily see why some people say this company is over rated.

Its not about the money so much. I still grab the toys because I know Hasbro/Takara will never give us these characters. Its basically FP or bust. It just feels sad being so close to the ultimate incarnation of a character and not quite making it. What I wonder though... are these aesthetics purposefully missed... or am I just nuts?

 

It's the lawyers. As far as I'm aware, all of FP's designs are run by lawyers to make sure they don't infringe on Hasbro's intellectual property.

So yes, they miss the mark when it comes to satisfying childhood wet dreams, but they're still damn good figures.

 

Honestly, FP does it to have their own style, while homaging the figure. If they made them dead-on matches... nothing would happen to them. Look at Hegemon.

I also, don't think it's any coincidence that the homages that they've made fit in perfectly with their own characters as well.

Just like with any company, or any toy: Some people like them, and some people don't.

 

It's because they don't want to directly infringe on Hasbro/Takara IP. They don't copy designs to a tee on purpose. They do enough to definitely homage, but not 100% copy characters. They get their own style, put their own spin on things, and have it work together. Igear for instance tries to capture the character as much as they can with their sculpts (well that are theirs).

For example, the whole point of the ninjacons was to put a fun spin on three obscure characters. It isn't a "flaw" to correct if they don't have 100% geewun accurate kibble, weapons or heads when they're designed to be a ninja spinoff.

The figures are fantastic regardless. They don't need 80s toy nostalgia to be great, as shown by the direction Steelcore is going.

 

The same thing happens in the mainline itself. They aren't trying to make a more articulated version of an existing toy, they're homaging the character while still putting on their own spin on things. City Commander does not have every single feature the original Magnus had, but it is pretty obvious that the add-on set is meant to invoke the character. And what 'key defining aesthetics' are is debatable in itself.

Just sounds like an issue of personal taste, honestly.

 

I've been saying this for a long time.

FP Fanboys will always argue that the missing key features of the character is a "style", "modern classicseques", "personal taste etc". You'll see more as the thread goes...  

In contrast, when official products are critiqued these key features should always be present. A lot of fans will contradict themselves just to put FP back on the pedestal.

FPC on the other hand might just have a go at blatant copyright infringement. Their recent announcement of using of the fandom as a scape goat by giving them a more hands on feel on the design might just change things around. At least they announced it.

Toyworld on the other hand... I love.

 

In my case, FP insecticons are the ONLY way I can care for insecticons.. and I do like robot insects, just that the original aesthetic for the 3 caracters always felt ugly to me (Zoids fun, maybe that is why I hate most TF beastformers they look all lame compared to Zoids in alt mode ro me ).

Now I never cared much for what FP has done in terms of homages
- not a fan of g insecticons
-not a big fan of G1 magnus
-do want a dringer, but not enough to jump at warbot defender
-only like hotrod, not rodimus
-wouldn´t spend tons of money on hasbro combiners with upgrade sets
-Got flameblast and warcry, but don´t care for those they are suppose to homage

So... why do I drool and go all out for FP now? straying out of TF, as I usually say, I am a fan of TF, as much as I am of a lot of other mecha franchises, but nowadays the only fiction segment to please me is IDW TF comics... now the perspective that FP core has been giving gets me all up:
-A serious and apparently deep fiction
-NEW characters (has/tak has done poorly on that)
-Awesome NEW designs

So I do understand that for TF only fans, specially G1 fans, it might be bad, but it is not my case, love TF, love G1, but I know better ideas can still erxist, just never from big companies and at that FP has a good chance to please me.

 

There's a difference between missing aspects of a character, and making a conscious decision to make those aspects different.


I'll say this, though:

If I weren't a fan of manga styling, I'd probably not be able to stand one thing that FP produces. It's one of those "Just so happens" things that works in my favor since they've produced quite a few characters now.

 

Oh, there are two FP toys that have all the key features present:

- Defender
- G3 trailer

The other ones are just plainly misses all of them which makes them undesirable.

Defender has one big flaw like Herc, that blocky look. Reminiscent of the first voyager toys in classics which are by the way, obsolete.

 

Again, this just goes back to what people consider 'key features'.

 

Yep.

 

Yeah, I knew this would happen to me with Herc as well. These flaws are not only found in FP products but a lot of 3rd party products.

- Leg extensions
- Rage kit
- A new head.

The difference between Herc and Giant is that on Herc these flaws are easier to correct. MT Constructicon mode just can't hack it. I might as well have stayed with that custom Devastator constructicons where some just really don't look like a constructicon. Like FP, MT is a little more careful.

A little mod here and there is sometimes fun and frustrating at the same time. Frustrating if you want to make MT constructicons better looking bots. Fun if you go the Herc way. Expensive yes. Fun some times.

I also have to add that these flaws are also found in official toys which makes things a little more complicated. The only difference is the price which like you mentioned hurts especially after paying way more and are also most of the time minor.

 

Opinion. It's what drives me to them. If I like the look of a figure I don't give a crap if it doesn't looks 100% like what it is an homage to or if it even homages anything at all.

Nothing you listed is a flaw. Tearing ratchet joints and tight brittle pieces are design flaws. How big a figure is and the look of the face sculpt boils mostly down to opinion and is not a "flaw."

 

Exactly, in my case I call key features the features which make me like a character, while I am not fanatic enough to say anything is perfect and even my favorite characters had flaws which I´d want corrected or features I just wouldn´t care for.

Warbot Defender to me is a pass because while it retains somer features which I considere important to the character, it legs the aestetic points I liked (mostly the legs). I´d trade the helicoptermode (thus not being triple changers) for decent G1 like legs, but I am aware that I am of the few if not the only who think exactly this way and I don´t think it was an overall bad choice from FP, just not good for me so I actually don´t care for the toy be it as homage or not.

Same here, I want good mech toys, it is good but won´t pass as homage, I make my opwn bio for it   I do it with Gundam all the time since I hate the shounen aspects of Gundam fictioon but they have some nice designs here and there.

 

^

Yes that's where taste is involved but the fact that they are missing key features is still there.

The fact that 4 out of 6 constructicons do not look like constructicons is a huge flaw other than the multiple breaking parts.

Anyway, threads like these didn't exist previously especially when the majority of the boards are fans, even I was afraid to point it out and make a thread. I'm quite surprised that more and more people are becoming more vocal regarding this.

I hope to see more and push the limit of 3rd party products instead of the previous products which I will aptly call turd party products.

 

geez, some of you guys just want an articulated g1 figure. Any deviation from that and "key features" are missing. If that's what you want then ok. But don't say something is overrated cuz lots of people like it and you don't. How can something be overrated unless deep down inside the people who like them a lot don't really like the figures as much as they say they do. I don't like hemegon Megatron, but I don't think its overrated because to say so means my rating scale is all that matters and everyone else who rates it higher is just overrating it or that I'm lying to myself and just liking something just to like it.

 

Another arguement is being "geewuner" then you'll see people complain about TFP RID Airachnid. While Airachnid looks more like what she's suppose to in comparison to Protector and Commander.

The hilarity of it all.  

This fandom is amazing.

 

you make it sound like ur some pioneer when it comes to criticizing fp or other 3rd parties. There are plenty of people who don't like the aesthetics of some 3rd party figures. Majority of people who go into fp figure threads likes what they see. You like to come in and be the vocal minority thinking your voice will somehow convince fp to change their design direction.

 

Kind of my point, again, I do like some G1 characters as they like, I went crazy about Sideswipe getting MP treatment with a Countach alt mode, buit to me he looked almost perfect on G1 anyway.

But I cannot say the same of Megatron... mass shiting is still something I want to forget ever existed in TF and while G1 megs had a cool bot mode, mass shifting sapiled it and thus Hegemon to me, I still know it is technically a good figure, but to ME it doesn´t work... so I could say it is flawed maybe because it doesn´t catter to my taste? No way.

Same way if a 3rd party made a very good new Lambo classics molde based on a very recent Lambo alt mode I wouldn´t care probably, because I like Countach, but I wouldn´t call it flawed just because I didn´t catter to my desire for G1 accuracy on the toy.

 

...which is also subjective. Your "key features" are what? Slavish G1 characteristics?

A "flaw" only people looking for geewun are seeing. G1 constructicons look awful, dated, and unappealing in any form to me. I like the changed the designs. Subjectively is fun.

When I look at Hegemon I see an excellent figure, but I don't care for the G1 Megatron design. I don't outright call it a flaw that he isn't a tank or something practical because its my preference. It aims to be more G1 accurate and succeeds for the most part. Even though that drives me away from it I can't dock it from the figure itself as a flaw. It's like, just my opinion man.

Or they don't care? There are plenty of folks like me who don't care for the 100% accurate look because A) I don't like it B) It isn't important to the quality of a figure C)Nothing is going to be perfect. You don't like a lot of third party stuff because it isn't 100% dead on to some cartoon character from the 80s. That's cool. I like a lot of Third party stuff because they're quality figures. It's just opinions and stuff.

Now you're just getting stupid here. "Push the limit" how? Make them look more G1? That's not pushing anything but nostalgia.