At some point you have to understand that what we are getting is improvements to the cartoon. Which was pretty ridiculous at times if we all want to be honest with ourselves.
Things like scale and representation are subjective at best.
I'm just happy that the character is instantly recognizable as the character, so much so that my 5 year old kids can recognize him, and they never said "Why does he have smoke stacks...?"

 

I see those COE's all the time.

 

Conversely would your children ask why it doesn't?

Don't get me wrong, I love my RK and liking Gravestone more and more each day to the point I may just pick it up. My point was if they had excluded it like in the cartoon would it have made the bot mode cleaner like the toon.

 

I couldn't agree more. I started collecting masterpieces after I saw how much of an improvements those figures were, compared to G1 toys and toon.
First I got the MP-10 Optimus, then Bumblebee and Prowl, and that is how it all started. I was amazed that the figures were both toon and toy inspired, with a lot of added details of the real vehicles, but still perfectly recognisable as a character.

I had many of the G1 toys and I liked them (actually still have them all). I was watching the cartoon and reading the comic books, and also liked those.

But it was like 30 years ago. Now I’m grown up, and I want something better. Not just a 30 year old toy with better articulation, nor a super simplified robot mode to match the cartoon (which had to be simple, because it was drawn by hand).

What I want now is a realistic looking alt mode, better posability, good looking robot mode inspired by, but not 100% accurate to the G1 cartoon/toy.

Roadking, for instance, has all the above and that's why I love this figure so much.

I also got the Gravestone yesterday and although it's nice, I'm definitely not as impressed as with Roadking. Mostly because GS is almost entirely made of fake parts (with the "real" parts still visible). The RK however is using actual truck parts to form the robot mode, with the only exception being the fake wheels on his feet, which are a nice addition to make cartoon fans happy, but I could perfectly live without them.

 

My Roadking comes in tomorrow and I got him for the reasons you listed as well. For me it started with the Siege Shockwave. Then I started researching what the Transformers world was up to these days and wow!
I personally look for toys that look like I imagined they could be not like what was shown in the cartoon because, like you said, hand drawn does not compare to what we are getting now. Hats off to what these companies are coming out with these days. It's truly amazing.

 

There's toon accurate like it's recognizably the thing from the cartoon, if it existed in the real world, and there's toon accurate like bad animation stepped off the cell. I know the fandom seems all about the latter these days, but I'm definitely in the former and I personally think an MP-scale CoE without smokestacks would just look wrong. Like not putting the rear window on a car wrong.

 

You could always smash the smockstacks off with a hammer or something.

That might be the decal with the thinner white line I'm looking for. Where did you get it? It looks sweeeeet mmmm.

 

I can only speak for RK, where the smockstacks fit pretty neatly into the legs. And I don't think it would've made much difference to bot mode if they hadn't been included in the design.

 

I buy FT stuff because it seems to walk the same line that hasui was intending when the mp line was reset at mp10. Their stuff is more like a heavy duty version of those offerings.

I get what takara is doing and while a good lot of fans enjoy that style, its not for me. FT hits a good compromise in the middle of the road that gives recognizeable bot modes and still great alt modes. I feel like the alt modes have been greatly sacrificed when it comes to the TT offerings as well.

 

Maybe, but I think the general consensus so far is people prefer a truck that looks correct over slightly smoother legs. (Which, its kinda interesting that even though Gravestone's transformation is the opposite of Capone and Road King, with the cab forming the chest, the smokestacks still end up on the legs.)

 

That's official dry rubs from Ocean Designs. Available from Uncle Billy on eBay. I also agree with u, the outline has got to be just the right thickness (that is, thin) to have that premium feel

 

My RK is at the airport in China. Does that mean he's getting shipped out or is he stuck there till next month?

 

Hey, mine is sowing exactly the same thing! Our Roadkings can keep each other company for a while. Like you, I'm hoping I won't have to wait several weeks to get him!

 

I noticed the lack of stacks on the original as a kid...

 

Saw that my RoadKing was delivered! Egad, I am awash with excitement!

-A.S.

 

Wait, i thought you already had RK. A 2nd one?

 

Mine's in "Tianjin, delivered to air transport" since Jan 15 with no update ordered from baba.

I'm hoping it gets out of China before CNY shutdown. It could be like a month from now before it hits my doorstep.  

 

Sold my first one. Needed the money. I'll whore myself out before I sell another Transformer though

 

Signature worthy quote.