Hi again :wave , just an idea i've been playing with, but with all the kit bashes and whatnot, i've decided to do a custom metroplex. i'm thinking that it'll be at least the size of fort max, though i haven't decided if i'll just take a brave max and tweak that, but i've always thought that they could have made metroplex a much better toy than they did. my real inspiration came from Trypticon.nl's autobot city, and i like how fort max is big enough to accommodate some of the larger tf's but why stop there? i know that this is going to be a major project, and i'd like to hear some design ideas from all of the creative minds floating around out there! post your ideas! :tftounge

well, i've been talking with some buddy's of mine and i'm going to add the addition of a monorail that does a figure 8 through the city and will light up at night. as a tribrute to 9/11, i'm planning on adding a set of twin towers to the whole thing, but as of yet, i don't know how they will come into play, but i really want the towers to be some meaningful part of the city, not some hasty add-on. maybe even the center piece of the whole city. please post your thoughts.

Sounds good to me. Go for it man! :thumb

Good luck dude, and remember some photos. :thumb

Good luck on your project i have huge respect for all the victims of the 9-11 tradgedy i myself lost 10 or so family freinds/members

 

since it is metroplex you're working on why not have it so somehow the twin towers in robot mode become the things on the side of his head on the original figure.... i dont know how to make itt work without drawing it up. i would but i dont have a scanner to post the pic so its pointless....

also if you were to do this he would have to be HUGE lol

 

but its jut a suggestion

cool idea, i was thinking that the towers could become like mega cannons, since i want the them to be the centerpiece of the city, and he could be as tall as 4 ft, all depends on wieght and articulation issues that i'm ironing on. i'm also thinking of using a modified RID train team for the monorail, see how that works. i'm going to kitbash a few other tf's to become components when he transforms, also he's going to have a battle base mode similar to the movie.

awsome man good luck may i reccomend as a fello kitbasher b4 u go and rip apart tfs for this huge task that you draw up all your plans b4 hand.. it really makes it all alot easier

thanks for the tip man, this will actually be my first kitbash, and i'm drawing up plans, i suck at drawing so i've got some buddies helping me out with the drawings. but thanks a lot for the advise, and if you have any other ideas and suggestions, let me know :clap

Ideas? I hope you have a notebook handy, you're gonna need it...

 

1) Metroplex is a city, so treat him like one! Try to emphasize his scale by strategically weathering him, placing "shadows" in crevasses and overhangs to create the illusion of his massive size. Also, try making tiny transformers in scale to him (Omega Supreme would be a good start!)

 

2) Detail the living daylights out of him! Don't be afraid to go in with a 000 brush and pick out details on him; panel lines, joints, ramps, windows. Give him a sense of being a city. You can even make up your own details, as long as it's in keeping with a city theme. ( warning signs, signs directing Autobots to the "command center" or "repair bay", etc.) Paint in some of the windows in the towers as 'lit', and others black, as if they're off.

 

3) Add extra catwalks, monorails, sidewalks and such, as mentioned in the other posts. You can store these in Metroplex's legs when not in use. Also, don't be afraid to add some towers,. and even a few more bays.

 

4) Just because Metroplex is modular, it doesn't mean ALL of him folds up into him when he transforms. Perhaps Metroplex himself is the "core module"of Autobot City. If this is the case, you could even make a whole diorama of the city, with the outskirts surrounding him. this would leave the core free to transform. (Throw in Trypticon, and you've got one hell of a battle scene!)

 

5) Experiment with the color scheme. Autobot city in TFTM was a orangish-gold color. Try experimenting with that, and see what you come up with.

 

6) As long as you're going for the gold, also try working on increasing Metroplex's articulation. Being a gigantic robot, he needs all the maneuverability he can get! besides, it would do a lot for a diorama scene.

 

8) Battle damage. Be subtle as you're doing this: try putting in some tiny stress cracks, laser hits, weathering from earth's elements, and so forth. But subtlety is THE watchword; too much detail in the wrong places, or poorly done, outrageous detail will detract from any good replica.

 

I know this is all quite a lot, but I hope it helps you out! Best of luck, hope to see pics soon!

i never thought of that, awesome, i'm gonna use this, thanks for the ideas, JackKnife!