The Energon Pub

-cool face mold?

-uniqueness

-are you a sucker for a certain size?

-do you like a certain type (triple changer, base former, shell former)

-does name mean a lot to you? you go for the main "names/characters"

-do you like gimmicks?

-the ones that just look like they are gonna be worth something

-an alt mode of something that you like (example: corvette)

-complex transformer

-realistic looking

My preferences, not exactly in order:

1 ) Nicely proportioned robot mode. It doesn't have to be human proportions, but if his arms are shorter than his head is tall, they're tooo short. And if his forearms are a quarter the size of his upper arms, they're too short.

2 ) Reasonable alt mode. It doesn't have to be a realistic one, I can accept "Cybertronian" alt modes, but it needs to look like more than the robot mode lying down on his belly with his arms and legs hallf folded or something.

3 ) Articulation. If it can't "walk", and it is a post-G1 figure, it's a big NO.

4 ) If it's a repaint, then it either must be a character I like, a really interesting color scheme that fits the mold, or I don't already have the mold.

Valandar wrote:My preferences, not exactly in order:

1 ) Nicely proportioned robot mode
2 ) Reasonable alt mode.
3 ) Articulation.

sounds reasonable even about the repaint,

however perhaps there are some unreasonable demands or quirks that today's fans seem to have, such as,

-it doesn't stand up on it's own (bot mode)
unless it's real flimsy like the omega awful titanium series, who cares

-asking for bot mode parts to be completely hidden in alt mode. Especially when you flip it over. again, who cares if you can see the face under the car, it doesn't bother me at all. nobody is gonna check under the car the disguise works, now, movie Megatron.....

-some of the demands of articulation is too much

Cool face mold? Sure. Sometimes this can make or break a simple figure, and make him/her that much better.

Certain size? I buy more Deluxes than anything, because to me, you just get more toy for the price than for any other size class. But big toys can be great fun.

Name? Well, I like owning a Megatron from a line. Never thought about it, but a super-cool sounding name might be the difference between that and figure with a duller, one-syllable name.

Gimmicks? When small and simple, yes. I like stuff like swords/missiles/pop-out guns and thingies. But lights and electronics and big gimmicks that basically make up a toy don't attract me.

Alt mode? Yep. First, cool robot. Cool vehicle/beast? Must buy.

Complex? Actually, this doesn't have much of an impact for me. If they can make a Transformer that transforms in two steps, yet still looks great, I don't mind.

Realism? Never been a main issue. It's fascinating to see all the detail put into realistic toys, but I'm also a fan of Animated, which is good in other areas.

Articulation? I love superposable toys. But if it comes at the expense of the toy falling apart, I can settle for less. If there's decent movement, I'll look past it.

Faction? I'm a Decepticon fan; they usually make cooler toys.

Colors? Sure. Some colors just look great on display, and next to their companions.

hmmm interresting topic

I would have to say for me personally theres a quite a few things I look for in a Transformer.. they are, in no particular order..

-Alt Mode

Even though all of my 100+ collection is displayed in Robot Mode, if the Alt mode sucks ive no reason to want to transform it, which needless to say is half the reason people buy TF's.. not just collectors.. that said however..

-Robot Mode

If the Robot Mode sucks or just doesnt appeal to me I find myself torn about buying it, even if the Alt Mode is good. A nice balance between modes I would say is the happy medium.. A good example of this (for me, personally) is Classics 2.0/Universe Ironhide.. ok so the Alt Mode is abit gappy, which alot of people have complained about.. but I quite like it.. even with his head issues the robot modes full of detail and character..

-Transformation

Im a sucker for a complex transformation, so long as its fun... Alternators Wheeljack causes me grief to no end.. simply because I cant seem to transform him without popping his doors off.. on the other hand I throughly enjoy transforming MP Starscream, Classics 2.0/Universe Galvatron and Movie Ironhide.. the more steps the better i say.. so long as its fun and not a pain..

-Detail/Paint

I love detailed figures.. end of.. whether it be obvious or otherwise. The Cybertron and Movie lines for me were awesome.. so much detail seemingly on every square inch of the figure, even now im finding little bits on some Cybertron figures I hadnt noticed before. Equally paint apps mean alot to me to.. not that they need to be detailed.. but so long as their neat, crisp and appropriate. Sloppy or botched paint apps frustrate me alot.. when I picked up Classics 2.0/Universe Sunstreaker, I was quite annoyed to discover yellow paint seemingly thrown on his left 'ear'

-Character

Not that im an avid collector of one particular character.. but certain characters always get abit more focus than others.. which in turn has them meeting more of the above criteria.. Id say Optimus is a good example.. ..with certain exceptions.. (cough.. Classics 2 pack Optimus and Megatron..)

-Articulation

If its a brick in Robot Mode im usually put off buying it.. as ive said.. my whole collection is displayed in Robot Mode.. so interresting posses are important.. I was quite let down by Energon Hot Shot, hence why im half way through planning a kitbash/extensive mod to allow him much more freedom of movement in Robot Mode..

-Gimmicks

For me gimmicks doesnt just mean automorph.. Secondary modes or Triple Changers I would say fall under gimmicks, as they are a feature of the figure outside of it changing from one mode to another.. Its not something I go out of my way to look for in a TF, but I would call it a bonus

...phew.. sorry for waffling abit... but id say thats my two cents..

this thread could actually be spun off into a second thread. there is the initial purchase and why we decide to get a figure, and then there is the aspect of how we feel after we actually open the package and mess around with the figure. sometimes the way we feel during the purchase changes after we have a particular figure for a while. but anyway.......

the character is a big deal for me. certain characters i just love and some i can't stand-good example is sunstreaker. i still haven't bought this guy because his character is such a schmuck.

the figure has to have a cool robot mode AND alt mode-there's no reason not to have your cake and eat it too since we are spending quite a bit of cash on these things.

transformation-if the transformation is boring OR if the figure has a cheap feel, then usually i try to avoid it. however, sometimes this is not apparent until the figure is out of the package!

gimmicks-i really just don't care for them. i don't like automorph. i don't like lights and sounds either for the most part. they usually just end up annoying the hell out of me and tend to drive up the cost of the figure.

accessories-i absolutely love it when figures come with accessories. i'm old enough to base a lot of my judgement of figures on their G1 counterparts, and there used to be a ton of cool stuff that came with those figures, especially with today's voyager and leader classes-these things should come with cool additional STUFF! it sucks to spend $20-$50 on a new figure and it doesn't even come with a gun.

there's probably more, but now i'm just ranting!

wmpyr wrote:

Valandar wrote:My preferences, not exactly in order:

1 ) Nicely proportioned robot mode
2 ) Reasonable alt mode.
3 ) Articulation.

sounds reasonable even about the repaint,

however perhaps there are some unreasonable demands or quirks that today's fans seem to have, such as,

-it doesn't stand up on it's own (bot mode)
unless it's real flimsy like the omega awful titanium series, who cares

I count that as being reasonably proportioned. If it can't stand up, that's usually because of tiny feet (or joints so loose it needs a triple coat of nail polish on 'em all)

wmpyr wrote:-asking for bot mode parts to be completely hidden in alt mode. Especially when you flip it over. again, who cares if you can see the face under the car, it doesn't bother me at all. nobody is gonna check under the car the disguise works, now, movie Megatron.....

-some of the demands of articulation is too much

If the alt mode is sitting on my desk and you can't see OBVIOUS robot parts, that's fine by me. I don't care about the gap on the bottom of Classics Seekers, or that you can see some car former's head from underneath. However, Energon Ironhide's clearly visible head in alt mode is a horrid break in the willing suspension of disbelief. Funny enough, I don't find it as bad on Cybertron/GF Starscream, mostly because it's ducked down quite a bit more, and is a space fighter, anyway.

As for the demands of articulation, here's my usual preferences:

- Shoulder rotation, preferably spread as well.

- Bending elbows (that bend the RIGHT way - Energon Arcee's sideways elbows were disappointing)

- Bending thighs, preferably with spread as well.

- Knees that bend, preferably in the correct direction

Really, that's all I ask for, and I can compromise a LITTLE on Scout class, and a little more on Minicons and Legends, or on older figures such as G1. Note that there are, in fact, multiple G1's that match these requirements, like Hunn-Grr for example.

On larger figures, like Voyager up to Leader, I'd prefer to see a bit more - rotation at the elbow, preferably above the elbow, and at the knee, preferably above the knee, a poseable head (preferably on balljoint), and twisting wrists, for example.

Some figures far surpass my minumum requirements, especially in recent years. These include most of the Classics and Universe 2.0 (especially Mirage), most of the Animated and movie lines, and many of the Cybertron / Galaxy Force line. In a line which has figures with exceptional articulation, a figure like Cybertron Backstop is practically unforgiveable.

I'd say very simply that I go for two factors: personality and playability (god, that sounds pretentious ). If the character is prominent (or just likeable) in the fiction I'll often enjoy them, or if the figure has a strong personality in the sculpt (eg. Movie Dropkick, Universe Onslaught) I'll enjoy them more. Similarly, if the toy is lots of fun to play with, with satisfying clean transformations or enjoyable gimmicks (eg. G1 Sixshot or BWII Tonbot) I'll generally get them.

For me, it's all about the bot mode...
A few specific things--

I HAVE to like the head/face...
The bot has to have at least one hand/fist.
I have no desire to get a figure like Incinerator.
And I can be a little picky about colors, but not all the time.
Good articulation is always great, but if I like the overall bot look,
then I'm okay if the artic. is a little limited.

Alt mode and size are secondary.
Transformation and playability don't really matter, because I don't play with my figures.

-nice alt mode
-not too much kibble
-nice head sculpt
-nice paint details
-nice sculp details
-sweet sword or blaster

I like a realistic alt-mode, although I have come to embrace the Cybertronian alt-modes now. Hate it when the alt-mode just looks like a crumpeled up robot, like Cybertron Metroplex.

Alt mode and size are secondary.
Transformation and playability don't really matter, because I don't play with my figures.[/quote]

thank you for participating in a psychological study.
by asking what you look for in a TF we were actually trying to see what you look for in a woman.

here are a few codes for the key words

alt mode = the way she is socially
bot mode = the way she is with you
transformation = the way she handles things.
articulation = athleticism

the rest should be pretty straight forward

Detailed/good looking robot mode.
Articulation/poseability.
Character (personal favorites are a must buy)

Nice breasts, not necessarily a flat stomach but definitely not a protruding gut, child bearing hips and a badonkadonk that won't quit.


38-28-39 sounds good.

wmpyr wrote:thank you for participating in a psychological study.
by asking what you look for in a TF we were actually trying to see what you look for in a woman.

here are a few codes for the key words

alt mode = the way she is socially
bot mode = the way she is with you
transformation = the way she handles things.
articulation = athleticism

the rest should be pretty straight forward

And so...

Valandar wrote:- Bending thighs, preferably with spread as well.

That should be pretty straight forward, too.

this thread is a transformer

I'm laughing so hard now

Nickolai wrote:Nice breasts, not necessarily a flat stomach but definitely not a protruding gut, child bearing hips and a badonkadonk that won't quit.


38-28-39 sounds good.

Thank you.

I was afraid I was going to have to make the effort on this one.