I know this has been discussed sparatically throughout other threads - but I wanted to start a thread specifically about people's impressions of the Alternity line, and try to guage people's views on their pros and cons.

 

I have come to accept that the BT line is done, which is one of the most tragic decisions in the TF series imho - but enough about that.

 

I did not like the Alternity line when it first came out due to the heavy repaints of prime and megatron, but time has gone on and they are showing a bit of a trend to only release 2 of a mold at a time. What is even better, they are different characters - so far. Can they continue to do this much longer?

 

I WANT to like this line so bad, but i'm having a real difficulty with it - partly because it's not living up to my impressions of the BT line. I absolutely "LOVE" an all-cars line - it is the #1 thing that got me back into TFers. It's how I had always wished they had done the original 80's G1 show.

 

I actually ordered my first alternity, but havn't opened it yet - kept it MISB for now. I have to say, i'm underwhelmed. The SCALE bothers me a bit more than I expected. There is something about it, that looks more like a toy, and less like a diecast car. If I tried to list the pro's and con's.. my list comes out something like this:

 

 

PRO's

 

- all car series

- not overdoing repaints; release 2 a mold which is great for vehicle/bot mode displaying

- great order of character release - starting with leaders and getting big names out in a good priority

 

CON's

 

- the scale really bothers me

- don't care for the location of breaks in the vehicle for transformation in panels that shouldn't have breaks; detracts from vehicle mode

 

 

I still feel like there is something else I can't quite put my finger on, that just makes the vehicle modes not look as real as the BT lines.

 

 

 

ANYWAYS.... i'm a person walking into an automotive dealership. I WANT to buy a car. Someone sell me a car! lol Or convince me my gut is right, to go back to my used car that has plenty of life and save my money. Maybe i'm just missing the new pieces coming in since the BT line stopped, and my only active series is the MP line which releases maybe 1 piece every 8-10months?? There is also the issue of display room - which has become premium and will become another obstacle if I decide to make the buy-in for the alternity line. I've found some good sources to get caught up and can buy the entire line new/MISB for $615 shipped.

 

I'm perplexed.. on the fense... and it's driving me crazy.

 

 

I wanted to get some thoughts of others that have collected the BT line... and from those that collect the Alternity line, or have chosen not to. I'd love to hear others views on this line.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS LINE.

 

i loved the binaltech line, but for some reason those figures don't even compare to this line.

 

i love the size, they're small, yet awesome. they're much more intricate and their transformations are much more interesting.

 

both modes look incredible in my opinion. i really don't mind the transformation lines in the alt modes.. they allow the robot modes to be better, which, in the long run, i care about more. plus.. when i have a transformer in its alt mode i still like knowing that it's a transformer.. i don't need the transformation creases being the creases of the actual vehicle.

 

i have the red prime, silver megatron, & bumblebee.. and i seriously cannot wait for starscream. from what i can tell, he looks like he is going to be my favorite. I always wanted a binaltech starscream, and now, not only do i get a starscream, but i get an alternity starscream which means he'll have a more intricate transformation and a better looking robot mode.

 

i don't know, i love the size, i love the transformations, i love the alt modes, i love the robot modes, i think this line or "sub" line is incredible.

I have come to accept that the BT line is done, which is one of the most tragic decisions in the TF series imho - but enough about that.

I'm with you on BT, it was by far the best line (with the exception of MP) IMO. I think it's the larger scale of it that impresses me, 1/24 cars are perfect for display - not too tiny to make out details but not too big to look ridiculous. Bots are a great chunky, substantial size too. I give every new line a try, but Alternity initially disappointed me with the fiddly size and high price. The seams in car mode I'm not worried about; as Tim says, if it allows for better bot mode it's worth it. If anything I'd say the strict keeping-to-car-seams in BT/Alt was sometimes detrimental to the bots. Now in the case of BB and CJ the small size actually worked in their favour, those two go great with the BT bots. I'm hoping we get more minibots.

 

On the cons side, and this is just personal opinion, I don't go for having seekers as cars. The faux wings make it even worse because they can't really pass for any other character. So I'll be skipping SS and SW.

 

As for the future, I will judge each new release individually and decide if I want it. But that's something I do anyway, I'm not really a completist collector (except those lovely MPs! :D )

Size and price are the worst part about alterntiy. Those 2 alone have lead me to only buy black convoy so far, but I am very impressed by him.

 

The GT-R is a beautiful car and translates effectively into this toy. I can't say the panel lines bother me at all, but that might just be a result of the black paint. I'm sure it wouldn't be that big a deal considering its nowhere as bad as uni. Ironhide.

 

Transformation is nice. Its the basic flip down the hood, pull out the arms, and fold the legs around scheme, but there's plenty of extras to make it unique, like essentially turning the legs inside out.

 

The overall robot design is the major selling point for me. I didn't get into alternators and bt because a lot the bots just seemed...off. The alt modes are great, but the robot modes really suffered sometimes. The fact that a smaller, almost more detailed, car turns into a better proportioned figure is amazing enough to me. I also just feel the design is perfect for nemesis prime.

 

I think if you like the designs, go for at least one alternity. Yes its small. Yes it's pricey. But these are amazing figures (sans the ugly face on megatron).

 

both modes look incredible in my opinion. i really don't mind the transformation lines in the alt modes.. they allow the robot modes to be better, which, in the long run, i care about more. plus.. when i have a transformer in its alt mode i still like knowing that it's a transformer.. i don't need the transformation creases being the creases of the actual vehicle.

 

That's my thinking too. I want variety in transformers the issue with BT/Alts was that everyone had that Smokescreen type transformation with the door wings. Boring. So even though they were different modes everyone still looked like everyone else. I like the variety Alternity is coming up with.

 

If I remember correctly Hasbro was sort of handcuffed because the American car companies didn't want transformation break lines in the car mode because they thought it would reflect poorly on the cars. That just struck me as the biggest load of crap ever.

 

 

 

 

On the cons side, and this is just personal opinion, I don't go for having seekers as cars. The faux wings make it even worse because they can't really pass for any other character. So I'll be skipping SS and SW.

 

 

This isn't an issue to me. I have them on pre-order and I'm looking forward to them. Besides, I'm assuming that if the faux wings are horrible someone will come up with some alternative bot mode to do away with them.

 

 

The biggest thing issue for me is the price, but when you look at the economy it would either be keep getting BTs for a higher price maybe as much as $60 or $70 or keep the price point at $50 but make the scale smaller. It's a trick that a variety of industries use. So because of the economic realities I'd rather get a smaller scale...at least I can intermix them with my deluxe figs from Classics.

it does suck that since TF1 the figures have been shrinking.

 

As for Alternity, I don't have any but like most of what I see. I won't associate them with Alts/Binals though outside of the fact that they're a higher quality then the standard figure.

 

That right there just makes it easier for me to deal with them, and most Transformers. A lot of people went into this subline hoping for more Alts. If you take that alone out of the mix, I'm sure these figures would be a lot less disapointing.

 

Looking at the price vs size, that isn't a gripe of mine limited to just this subline. Frig PCC figures are gonna start a $10!!!

I am an auto enthusiast. Alternators are what "pulled" me back into Transformers. I absolutely love the ALT/ BT / BTA lines. I know that there were quite a few repaints in the beginning and that the first set of figures were...can I say....not very exciting? I think it is funny that the first time I saw these I found a Battle Ravage Alt on clearance at Walmart. That is probably my least favorite one out of ALL of them, next would have to be the Viper mold. I actually really like the Subaru mold and transformation. I know that there were several repaints and that some of them shared the same "type" of transformation, but they were because of some of what I understand now as limitations of keeping a true scale model? I think that it shows in the line how much it improved over time. Shockwave is a much better figure than say Sideswipe. Don't get me wrong, I have my little irritations with the ALT / BT / KPBT / BTA lines, but they were very well done.

 

Since I like to make a complete set with figures I have been debating what the next line is that I wanted to put my hard earned cash into next for collecting. Masterpiece or Alternity. I think I answered my question when I actually got my hands on my first MP figure, Skywarp, but with BB and CJ out and SS and SW on their way...my thoughts have changed....but there are some things that have prevented me from making the total commitment and plunge into the line.

 

When I finally purchased an Alternity figure, Blue Megatron, I will say I like it, but I can't say it got me excited about the line. Here are my thoughts with this line...

 

My biggest single complaint is the scale. The scale of the vehicles are what really disappointed me with this line. I feel that I am paying for an upgraded overpriced deluxe figure. I know that they are highly engineered and well thought out but the whole 1/32 vs 1/24 scale still irks me. :deadhorse I know I mention this all the time when I post about anything new in this line. I just think that if they had left the scale at 1/24 the line would have thrived a lot more. I don't really have much to complain about in regards to the vehicles they chose. I like the vehicles they chose to use...with exception to the new seeker vehicle [i would have used the Bugatti Veyron :) ] and initially the Suzuki one. I also think that because of the smaller size, the appeal of the real scale model is weak because the details are kind of lost at that small scale which make the alt mode not as appealing. I actually think what bigkid24 said about the lines and seems are true, and that it reflects in the molds. The alt modes of the ALT / BT lines looked very clean, but the Alternity line with the lines and seems make them seem less realistic, IMHO.I understand why the OEMs were concerned about that because it does make the model miss the mark a little bit.

 

I think the Suzuki molds for both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were almost spot on perfect for their characters and I will say that the 1/32 scale works for them because they were small charcaters....but not for the leaders like Megatron and Optimus Prime. I wish BB and CJ would have been made from a VW R32 to give a little more homage to the G1 figure...but the head sculpts make me forget about that when I look at them.

 

The GT-R and 370Z should have been an alternator scale vehicle. IMHO, it just deserved that larger size. I think they should have made the engine of both of the vehicles turn into a weapon the "resembled" their G1 counterpart weapon. Megatron without the arm cannon just seems to miss the mark a little bit.

 

IMHO the whole "seekers should not be vehicles" is stupid statement when they are pertaining to a line of vehicles where they are designed after real performance vehicles. I don't understand why it even comes up other than for someone to complain. That's my opinion and you can like or leave it. I like this idea....a lot.

 

So to summarize

 

Pros

 

- Nice Articulation

- Nice Vehicle choices

- Nice Head Sculpts

- Good Characters releases / being released

- Real Scale Models

- ALT / BT / BTA / KPBT replacement

 

Cons

 

- SCALE! SCALE! SCALE!

- Price

- Lines/Seems in Alt mode make the model not as realistic

- Future of this line

- ALT / BT / BTA / KPBT replacement

That's my thinking too. I want variety in transformers the issue with BT/Alts was that everyone had that Smokescreen type transformation with the door wings. Boring. So even though they were different modes everyone still looked like everyone else. I like the variety Alternity is coming up with.

The Smokescreen and Meister molds were very similar transformations, but after that they were all pretty unique.

 

I might be oversimplifying but I lump all of the figures that have the hood of the car sticking straight out for the chest in one group. So Smokescreen, Hound, Grimlock, Meister, and to a lesser extent Skids.

I'm really liking the Alternity line thus far. My favorite is the Megatron 370z mold, but I like the Bumblebee Swift, as well. The only one I don't own yet is the Prime GT-R, but hopefully that will change soon.

 

Binaltech/Alternators got me back into buying TFs and I'm glad to see them continue even if it's in a smaller form.

I am an auto enthusiast. Alternators are what "pulled" me back into Transformers.

 

I agree, it was this same thing that pulled me back in. I LOVE seeing the seekers as cars, and having an all auto series. This is actually the BIGGEST DRAW for me.

 

I actually think what bigkid24 said about the lines and seems are true, and that it reflects in the molds. The alt modes of the ALT / BT lines looked very clean, but the Alternity line with the lines and seems make them seem less realistic, IMHO.I understand why the OEMs were concerned about that because it does make the model miss the mark a little bit.

 

And this is the BIGGEST HINDERANCE for me. I never complained about the size before, but after getting one, I can see why it irks people. I find the scale very much a put off. I think I could get past that - but the lines in panels that shouldn't be there for an accurate looking vehicle mode irk me the most. It makes it look like a TOY instead of a diecast miniature model. I actually like most all of the bot modes of the BT line. i think they have their own uniquenesses. But the vehicle modes are just so damn nice - and this alternity line simply doesn't measure up.

 

I don't care about the price point - it's about the same (or a tad cheaper) than the BT's, so I can dismiss that altogether. But for display, I tend to group the molds together - keep them all in vehicle mode, with 1 in bot mode. And it just doesn't look as clean and sharp to me. The seams where there shouldn't be just irk me... sorry, but i'm going to beat that horse because it's the biggest obstacle for me. I just don't buy that they HAD to do it for better engineering -- the BT's did fine, I think it's more so because of scale and simplifying the engineering.

 

One of the reasons i got out of TFers as a kid was all the happy-meal plastic and florescent colorings. I like them to be as realistic as possible, not amber green, orange and baby blue happy meal looking toys. I'm not saying the Alternity line is that bad - but - they just don't measure up to the BT's when it comes to vehicle mode. I've got $650 sitting in paypal waiting to place an order, to do the buy-in, but I don't want to get them all and never be happy with them.

 

I'm enjoying reading people's views tho and I might get there. I really like the vehicles they have picked for the upcoming seekers, and what they seem to look like in drawings of bot mode.

 

I'm considering, doing the buy-in, and just keep them MISB for awhile and see if they grow on me - that way I can always sell them off if my affinity for them doesn't push me to want to put them in display. I could be wrong, but I'm thinking there is not as big of a market for the alternities as there was for the Bt/Alt's tho. Does anyone have a site that shows total sales comparisons per figure of them???