Have they said how big the combiner will be?

 

As tall as Assaultus with the "toy kit"

 

Thanks, but I'm quite practiced at painting and customizing. I actually prefer to use paper tortillions that I purchase in bulk at art stores for paint removal.


Soaking the tip lightly in alcohol makes for an exceptionally effective paint eraser.

The issue is I have neither the time or the will right now to go through the trouble. Pulling out an eye piece and hitting it with my airbrush is a hell of a lot easier. Not to mention, I prefer either airbrush or paint markers for eyes as any slight imperfections tend to look very obvious to me when on the face and eyes. It's hard to use either effectively in a cramped space between helmet protrusions and get a solid, smooth coat.

I'll get to these eventually, but I have a horde of much easier mods lined up that I'll probably hit first since I can get more bang for the buck with what little time I have available.

 

it’s really quite remarkable how flat he is.

 

I think the bigger thing there is that it would make us look like we aren't confident in our product. It would make people go, 'why even do all in one if you put out a frame anyways?' Already had that happen (although to a lesser degree) with the Assaultus upgrade set, and that was just to give him a toy look. Not to mention that it's just not where our focus lays for these. So I think we'll be happy to let others pick that up if they so desire.

 

Also, while we are sticking with the all-in-one thing, it's really cool to see that even people who don't like that still dig the figures themselves. I'm glad they're leaving an impression.

 

Because the skeleton is what makes it look better. I care for shelf-presence, and (to me) pantsformers look better. I know you are more about the engineering porn, but I consider this secondary.
A skeleton gives a large enough torso without making the center robot enormous (looking at you, Onslaught). It can have well proportioned upper legs, with larger knee ratchets for added stability. The arm-bots also do not need to have their legs enlarged to fit a combiner-fist (looking at you, First Aid, Vortex and Blastoff).

To me it's just good business sense and not a lack of confidence, you are literally leaving money on the table if you didn't make that Bruticus upgrade kit. I am getting a double set of Protectobots (one for individual display, and one as Defensor) and seeing how compromised MMC Hot Spot, First Aid and (assumedly) Blades will be in robotform, due to the all-in-one gimmick, I will buy the Xtransbots versions of them, next to already owning the full Xtransbots Protectobot team to make Defensor. It's a shame, because I am afraid the styles will clash, but we will see.

Let me state for the record that while I am critical of the all-in-one engineering, I still appreciate of the figures, and respect the engineering work that has gone into making them. Navigant looks freaking fantastic on the shelf.

 

Said more eloquently than how i was going to put it. I do appreciate the all in one. Its clever as hell. But the combiner is just too short for my collection. I dont want zeta superion size and his little bro defensor. Not making the kit bc they are afraid of the criticism is kinda lame(no offense @RVDA ) but come on. Some of us will ask for ice water in hell then complain about the shape of the ice. Point is, if mmc thinks there is a market for upgrade kits then they shouldn't let a few complaints stop them. I know I'd be double dipping on this set as well as buying the kit instead of wishing on the stars that xtb doesnt screw defensor up too.

 

I apologise, the messaging seems a bit lost here. You self admittedly are buying multiple of at least some of the XTB figures because you think they suit your collection better by doing what you want them to do on an engineering level. They are hitting multiple checkboxes, while the MMC are hitting multiple different checkboxes less relevant to your collection. Am I missing something? Surely the existence of both approaches, MMC with their all built in and XTB with their put it in a frame and forget is the ideal scenario, and has to be better than incrementally fighting over exactly the same space, inevitably leaving a bunch of people who don't want that exact specific space dissatisfied

As for combined mode skeleton kits, yeah I guess it could be done and we've all seen the customs that do, but given its a "display at all cost" element that would bring it in line with the likes of Zeta I kinda don't get it? The reality is that people who both want the absolute titanic full-toon combined modes for display and people who want to mess with intricately engineered figures is likely a relatively small overlap. This is just personal opinion, but while I could see some people buying a combiner skeleton, most who want a big display bruticus would look at the combined cost of the set+upgrade, compare that to Zeta, and then buy Zeta. And if you want bots for bot mode display, just buy whatever works who cares how the combination plays out at that point

Unless its the "these figures are great and I wish they fit better into my collection" issue, which is completely fair enough and there are figures/lines where I feel like that but not a reason for the line to pivot or be different inherently

 

The reason this is coming up at all it because MMC makes sturdier, higher quality figures than XTB. An XTB combiner is a nice display piece but that's about it. MMC figures are vastly better when it comes to that tactile hands-on experience. So having MMC to appeal to one group and XTB appeal to another isn't necessarily better than simply having MMC appeal to both groups.

Also, based on what we've gotten so far, MMC's individual bots are looking at least as good or better (definitely better in Streetwise's case) in robot mode than XTB's, despite having easier and more fun transformations. If MMC had an optional Liketoys upgrade kit (which it will inevitably get as a 3D printed release, only question is if it and the Bruticus kit will ever get mass produced), XTB would lose one of its biggest selling points (though some people would inevitably still prefer XTB's individual robot scale and more realistic alt modes...that doesn't include me though).

 

I suspect that developing the all-in-one combination is a huge amount of work and resources; developing a frame to hold everything is a huge amount of work and resources. Doing BOTH on the same product seems like an unjustifiable amount of work and resources. I don't have the market analysis on hand, must have left it in my other jacket, but I'm not sure that the amount of customers they'd pick up with a frame would balance out the costs of developing both approaches at once. Also, there are many people who don't want these figures specifically because they feel that the necessities of the all-in-one combination negatively impact other elements that are more important to them (proportions, visible combiner parts breaking up the look, etc); a frame won't win them over, and would just increase the number of posts saying "they ruined the look of these figures, and for what, they even made a frame, what was the point of doing the all-in-one combination?"

 

The suggestion isn't for MMC to work out the development of a frame on their own. It's for MMC to work out a deal with Liketoys to mass produce their kits for MMC combiners (currently they have one for Bruticus, and they will make one for Defensor after the protectobots are all released), the same way Jinbao recently worked out a deal to mass produce the Devastator kit, which they did while also reissuing Devastator since they knew the move would increase the amount of people who want the set.

 

No, I prefer some of the XTB Protectobots, because they look better cosmetically when compared to MMC (more paint, more linework and more diecast), but the MMC transformation engineering is better. MMC First Aid just has an Ambulance cut in half for legs, while the XTB First Aid has actual well-proportioned legs. So XTB looks better, but I can already guess that it will be a transforming puzzle with zero enjoyment.

Personally I do NOT want ultra toon figures. I am no longer a 5 year old kid, my design sensibilities are adult and I like my collection to reflect this, instead of a poorly animated 80's cartoon. As an example: the XTB Inferno and Grapple are what I consider the ideal marriage between cartoon and stylised.

I did buy the Zeta Toys Bruticus, he is awesome, but far from perfect. I bought the MMC Combaticons for individual display, and the Zeta for Bruticus. However: MMC Vortex, Blastoff and Onslaught all suffer cosmetically due to the engineering choice to make them all in one. Brawl and Swindle escape this date, because they 'just' have to be lower legs.

That is my one criticism about MMC Combiners, aesthetically only half the team is succesful (to me).

 

I didn't see that suggestion - it's possible I missed it! I saw a wish for a Liketoys frame set (which isn't dependent on MMC, Liketoys can do whatever they want), a wish for MMC to produce a frame set, and disappointment in MMC when one of the designers said that they are not likely to make one.

 

honestly, the one critique i have so far is the same one I have of all 3pt groups (and hasbro). Why do the medics never come with tools instead of guns?   I'd love some kinda wrench or something for Firstaid XD

 

Steal them from Rachet...not like he's using them anymore

What, too soon?

 

You brute.

 

I'm sorry. Wheeljack then.