The Energon Pub

Reading some other comments since my last posting, I'm wondering if MAYBE the combined mode will look more "full" once we get a picture of the production model of M3. All the black just makes it easier for the eye to pick out the colors of the surrounding figures and enhances any shortcomings of the proportions. Not that it will miraculously change folks minds about the shoulder connectors or anything like that, but for the reasons above I think our perception is being skewed.

I want to LOVE this figure, because I LOVE the Stunticons. I'm just ready to have displayed.

I think FP's just being outclassed by MMC, TFC, and MT. Their Menasor isn't nearly as bad as people are making it out to be. The combined mode itself seems on par with Bruticus. HOWEVER, they aren't upgrading a POS now and the competition just looks better as an overall robot. So you have a lack of an incredible before and after aspect as well as better robots being pumped out by others.

necr0blivion wrote:Reading some other comments since my last posting, I'm wondering if MAYBE the combined mode will look more "full" once we get a picture of the production model of M3. All the black just makes it easier for the eye to pick out the colors of the surrounding figures and enhances any shortcomings of the proportions. Not that it will miraculously change folks minds about the shoulder connectors or anything like that, but for the reasons above I think our perception is being skewed.

Also, having him displayed in a plain, non-descript stance hurts the presentation. For Bruticus at least, the fact that you have the forearms up and in action poses makes it really hard to tell that the "elbow" are just the smaller 'bots upper legs. I think full-colored, high quality shots will look infinitely better than the pics we've seen so far.

Also, why is Bruticus shorter? I was under the impression they'd be the same height. Is that picture at a weird angle or something?

Bruticus is shorter because Menasor's taller.

Yeah, someone needs to make extensions for his feet. I think that's really where the extra height comes in.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Bruticus is shorter because Menasor's taller.

Yeah, someone needs to make extensions for his feet. I think that's really where the extra height comes in.

I seriously hope he's not that much taller. I was fine having two size classes for my Decepticon Gestalts: large for Hercules & Feral Rex (being huge construction vehicles + beasts), and slightly smaller for FP Bruticus & Intimidator (being comprised of smaller vehicles).

Oh well.

Those lower legs are looking rather chunky all of a sudden, but as it's been said, the pose probably isn't helping with that.

Kind of glad I never forked out for Bruticus Maximus the the Crossfire 2.0 sets. As awesome as it is, it's starting to look a little outdated these days.

We're really over due to see more details for Motormaster.

Uggghhh....those arms !!!!

Yeah FP dropped the ball on this project. Im still gonna buy him, but Im up for a 4th party Dead End and Drag Strip to replace the two bad apples.

Seriously, we need to see Motormaster already! In full color botmode, altmode and combined. I can't believe that they don't have a fully painted prototype yet. Even if it's half a year off, they could still have preorders somewhere.

zodconvoy wrote:Seriously, we need to see Motormaster already! In full color botmode, altmode and combined. I can't believe that they don't have a fully painted prototype yet. Even if it's half a year off, they could still have preorders somewhere.

That would ruin the surprise. We'll hear news as the supposed release date draws nearer that the figure has been delayed. This will continue into next year, at which point, on April 1st, 2014 FP will announce that there will be no Motormaster at all, and that we bought these 4 cars that actually don't combine with anything for nothing .

xyl360 wrote:

zodconvoy wrote:Seriously, we need to see Motormaster already! In full color botmode, altmode and combined. I can't believe that they don't have a fully painted prototype yet. Even if it's half a year off, they could still have preorders somewhere.

That would ruin the surprise. We'll hear news as the supposed release date draws nearer that the figure has been delayed. This will continue into next year, at which point, on April 1st, 2014 FP will announce that there will be no Motormaster at all, and that we bought these 4 cars that actually don't combine with anything for nothing .

lol. that would be a terrible April Fools joke.

Rated X wrote:Uggghhh....those arms !!!!

Yeah FP dropped the ball on this project. Im still gonna buy him, but Im up for a 4th party Dead End and Drag Strip to replace the two bad apples.

I agree with you 100%! Maybe someone can make rear spoilers for them that turn in covers for the knees

Arctorro wrote:

Rated X wrote:Uggghhh....those arms !!!!

Yeah FP dropped the ball on this project. Im still gonna buy him, but Im up for a 4th party Dead End and Drag Strip to replace the two bad apples.

I agree with you 100%! Maybe someone can make rear spoilers for them that turn in covers for the knees

That's a good idea, assuming it wouldn't hinder articulation. It's funny that they made the legs combine the same way that the lame (in my opinion) customs I've seen in the past have where they aren't actually the legs, just sitting on top of/attached to the legs of the gestalt underneath yet the arms are the same as on the much dated and lackluster Has/Tak combiners where the articulation is all in the legs of the bot that forms the arm. I guess there wouldn't be any other way to gain real elbow articulation while still retaining the proper G1 look, but it still sorta sucks.

I really liked TFC's answer to this problem with Herc. Using the treads as the forearms was a brilliant move and made the arms still look as though they were composed of the vehicles themselves (because they were) instead of like half a car attached to the shoulders with robot legs attached to a fist like this one.

xyl360 wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Rated X wrote:Uggghhh....those arms !!!!

Yeah FP dropped the ball on this project. Im still gonna buy him, but Im up for a 4th party Dead End and Drag Strip to replace the two bad apples.

I agree with you 100%! Maybe someone can make rear spoilers for them that turn in covers for the knees

That's a good idea, assuming it wouldn't hinder articulation.

Thanks

xyl360 wrote:It's funny that they made the legs combine the same way that the lame (in my opinion) customs I've seen in the past have where they aren't actually the legs, just sitting on top of/attached to the legs of the gestalt underneath yet the arms are the same as on the much dated and lackluster Has/Tak combiners where the articulation is all in the legs of the bot that forms the arm. I guess there wouldn't be any other way to gain real elbow articulation while still retaining the proper G1 look, but it still sorta sucks.

I'm in two minds about the legs... It is a bit half-arsed, but it also helps to soak up some of the much bigger Motormaster. So, for now at least, I'm going with it. Agree completely with the arms, they look like they belong on a toy from 10 years ago.

xyl360 wrote:I really liked TFC's answer to this problem with Herc. Using the treads as the forearms was a brilliant move and made the arms still look as though they were composed of the vehicles themselves (because they were) instead of like half a car attached to the shoulders with robot legs attached to a fist like this one.

That was really inspired. To my mind it seems like a no-brainer, bots that become arms can use their robot mode hips as the elbows if it makes things easier, but hide those damn knees

That design style helps keep me with TFC and MMC scaled combiners.

I don't think the "using treads" logic really applies to cars. There's no treads to use. Plus construction vehicles are bulkier and make for more convincing arms than cars to as well.

Maybe another 3rd party company will see reason and give us skeleton arms the two cars can attack to, like the legs do. But, seeing as nobody has given us replacements for the Energon Bruticus limbs, I am not holding my breath.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:I don't think the "using treads" logic really applies to cars. There's no treads to use. Plus construction vehicles are bulkier and make for more convincing arms than cars to as well.

Maybe another 3rd party company will see reason and give us skeleton arms the two cars can attack to, like the legs do. But, seeing as nobody has given us replacements for the Energon Bruticus limbs, I am not holding my breath.

True, but perhaps it would have looked better if the cars just extended in half, with some sort of custom hinge in the middle on a rotator so that the backs of the cars connected to the fists (coming out of the tailpipes/trunks basically ) with the bit in the middle forming the 'elbow' being one solid piece with some extraneous mechanical detailing on it as to say 'robotic muscular/skeletal mechanism here', though accommodating such a mechanism would require more space and might not be feasible.

It's just that they way they did it, with the backs of the cars/legs folding in on themselves the way that they do to connect to the fists combined with the fact that the elbows/forearms are basically just the robot thighs/hips/knees, it looks kinda cheapy to me. I realize it's the simplest and most intuitive solution to the problem/requirement of an articulated combiner; it's just that I was hoping for more I guess. I mean even TFC's Uranos uses the same method basically as FP used here, yet its arms do not look like a pair of robot legs attached to a fist. Not to me at least. But perhaps that's simply because TFC didn't mutilate the rear ends of the jets to get their fists connected and the legs on their bots are much thicker due to the different style and larger size, but it does show what can be done with such a goal in mind.

There are other solution, true. But the Herc solution really doesn't apply to this.

I think that some are just looking for something as innovative as Herc was with the treads. I do agree with that point. I didn't get the Herc extensions for a more G1 look specifically because I liked the "Classics" take of using the treads as forearms.

Personally, I'd like to see some more color pics with some great poses to really judge the arms here. I love this concept in the Bruticus add-on and FP Superion add-ons. I'm willing to give FP the benefit of the doubt based on my pleasure with Bruticus and Superion.

Plus, as I've said before, we finally have the Stunticons!!!

Gauntlet101010 wrote:There are other solution, true. But the Herc solution really doesn't apply to this.

Right, which is why I pointed out what TFC did with Uranos, because that DOES apply, at least to a certain extent.

Who knows, perhaps some other company or FP themselves will come out with alternate bots or add-ons for the arms to make them look better. I just think this is one of those projects that sat on the back burner for too long and by the time they finally started getting it out, the dated design upon which it was originally based during conceptualization has been outshined by more recently developed projects.

I didn't comment on Uranos, obviously. But if you want me to, sure. Some lessons can be takes from Uranos. Thick upper legs, (and an overall thick, blocky body to match) mostly.

c/o

uranusdd wrote:

I really love the detail for this figure. It may be my favorite looking figure so far for the Stunticons.

You know it's not really that far off from the G1 toy. The problem is the G1 toy was a joke being a product of 80's technology. I think a more cartoon accurate look would have earned more appreciation.

CA-11 Down Force in stock at BBTS:

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=FPJ10036&mode=retail

Still no pre-order for not-Motormaster