Well, look at it this way. G1=shared transformation schemes=massproduction w/differing characters. Alternators/BT=shared transformation scheme=massproduction w/differing characters.

 

New design for each character=more production cost per item=even longer wait times between releases=higher consumer costs=soon cancelled line.

 

Now, if Alt/BT continue to do well then we may get more mold-types developed down the road, but right now they're trying to keep the product affordable and make money at that, which from their standpoint the latter is by far the most important. And seeing as G1 started that way, I don't see any problems with that either, as long as they make the redeco's into different characters.... the 5 faces of Smokescreen are a bit much however.

Of course, realistically speaking, there's no practical reason why TFs would need to have unique transformations. It's purely an aesthetic concern.

 

Hey, just sayin'... :redface

Well, look at it this way. G1=shared transformation schemes=massproduction w/differing characters. Alternators/BT=shared transformation scheme=massproduction w/differing characters.

 

New design for each character=more production cost per item=even longer wait times between releases=higher consumer costs=soon cancelled line.

 

Now, if Alt/BT continue to do well then we may get more mold-types developed down the road, but right now they're trying to keep the product affordable and make money at that, which from their standpoint the latter is by far the most important. And seeing as G1 started that way, I don't see any problems with that either, as long as they make the redeco's into different characters.... the 5 faces of Smokescreen are a bit much however.

He speaks the truth. Economically, this is sound for Hasbro as well as the comsumer. You have to engineer the mechanics to make a vehicle transform into a robot humanoid form and back again. If they were to try and design new ones, that's time and money. If it can already be applied to a new vehicle. Use it. Worked for G1.

Besides, there are only so many differening ways to make that work. I mean, there is only one design scheme for humans right? And I'm guessing there only so many ways of making that one design work into folding and transforming a humanoid mode into a car mode and vice versa. Twist waist, fold torso here, tuck legs and arms there... So, I say they are doing a fine job so far. My only problem is the lack of a Decepticon side and the best known ones at that.

I could give a crap how they transform as long as the bot and alt mode look good!!

 

:tfgrin

I look at Meister as a completely different figure, because it is. Grimlock is also majorly different. So far we only have 7 Different car molds and and the techniques for making them are getting better each time. These toys release date are purposely being spaced out. It's unfortunate but we're just going to have to wait to see what type mold they come out with next. Maybe they'll be different maybe they won't. There's so much you can do with cars. Me personally as long as they look good I could care less. There's still the possabilty that they'll start doing more than just cars.

Part of the limitation is they have to work around the hollow cockpit area, and the fact that they want robots with long legs and tapered waists. I agree they're a little short on creativity, but it'd be difficult to use the transformation of someone like G1 Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, or Camshaft, because the midsection would be too wide to be aesthetically proportional compared to the rest. They *could* engineer the hell out of them, but I'm not holding my breath.

And something like the RiD guys are probably not possible because so much Binaltech kibble would mean they'd never balance upright.

 

Look on the bright side. At least nobody transforms like Armada Sideswipe. Yet.

Part of the limitation is they have to work around the hollow cockpit area, and the fact that they want robots with long legs and tapered waists. I agree they're a little short on creativity, but it'd be difficult to use the transformation of someone like G1 Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, or Camshaft, because the midsection would be too wide to be aesthetically proportional compared to the rest. They *could* engineer the hell out of them, but I'm not holding my breath.

And something like the RiD guys are probably not possible because so much Binaltech kibble would mean they'd never balance upright.

 

Look on the bright side. At least nobody transforms like Armada Sideswipe. Yet.

"short on creativity"? What are you smoking? These are the most complex figures HasTak has ever produced, period. (Masterpiece Convoy being the only exception.) Have we forgotten that these are scale models of real cars that have real interiors and turning wheels, that transform into highly poseable and very solid-looking robots?

 

That aside, the fact is that HasTak is going for a strong "G1 homage" aesthetic with these figures. Therefore it makes perfect sense that Smokescreen and Silverstreak would be the same mold, and Meister would look similar to them. Hound is similarly based off of his G1 counterpart transformation-wise. And anyway, just because the hood is on the chest doesn't mean that "it's the exact same transformation!!!"

 

And how many different ways are there to turn a car into a good-looking, poseable robot? The parts have to go somewhere.

I have to agree,

the only thing I want to see more is differnt gun transformations, you can only do so much with transforming a v-type engine into a gun (the rx8 has a rotary engine it looks different)

I have to agree,

the only thing I want to see more is differnt gun transformations, you can only do so much with transforming a v-type engine into a gun (the rx8 has a rotary engine it looks different)

Personally, I like the whole "pulling his weapon out of his butt" thing that Meister has going on. :tflaugh

I could give a crap how they transform as long as the bot and alt mode look good!!

 

:tfgrin

:pfx