The Energon Pub

[Burn]

Too lazy to quote here but if Flame Toys finally notice that the Twitter activists will NEVER buy any of their figures anyway and release that Windblade kit as it is...

You know, I've been reluctant to comment on this "Twitter activists" stuff, considering my history with them, BUT ... what you're saying here Kan, is giving them too much credit. You're feeding their egos by thinking they actually have made a difference.

They haven't.

The figure is still going to be made, maybe it'll be modified, maybe it won't.

But I say this not as the Forum Admin, but just another TF fan, don't let people like that impact on your collecting, don't let them impact on how you interact with other fans, don't acknowledge them, don't give them the time of day, don't give them anything, give them nothing and take their power away.

Give your support to Flame Toys, let your voice be heard in a positive way.
Someone let me know when this post is picked up on Twitter, I need a good laugh.

[Evil Eye]

Another idea (what I did) is to email Flame Toys and tell them you think the kit looks great and you want to buy it when it comes out. Show them there is interest in the kit and that it will sell. Positivity is a hell of a tool.

Anyway!

I REALLY hope we get an "Attack Mode" Megatron ala Optimus and Starscream. The IDW kit looks good and all, but I adore the stylized redesigns from this line and I'd love to see Megatron get one. Also Shockwave, because Shockwave is literally never not good.

[-Kanrabat-]

One thing is sure.
MONEY TALK.
And corporations are finally taking notice.
If FT stick to their guns that's good.

Personally, I find that Windblade incomplete. And what would be the best thing for FT to do and would satisfy most people is to ADD things in the box. Sure, this would make the kit more expensive but it would be nice to have the option to be able to build either "full waifu" Windblade, full bot Windblade, or an hybrid of both.

Akin to those wonderful Kotobukiya Frame Arms Girls kits:

[Rodimus Knight]

If Wingblade does get cancelled, I think the actual fanbase should stop buying the Flame Toys model kits altogether. If the company is going to let a bunch of people who were never going to order it in the first place dictate what they are going to release, then the people who are supporting them should stop doing so.

Until that happens, these companies will continue to bow down to that hate filled minority on twitter.

[AcademyofDrX]

I'm not going to claim to be representative, but I collect the Furai kits and I very much want them to change the Windblade design. My favorite kits are the ones that match IDW designs, especially for characters like Megatron and Rodimus who haven't had Hasbro toy versions of those designs. I don't think their version of Windblade is a good representation of the character or of the brand, and I want a model that is.

[ZeroWolf]

Boycotts don't really work, you'd find that there would be just as many if not less, people supporting a boycott then people initially complaining anyway. Burn is right, the model hasn't been cancelled, it just wasn't on show because it wasn't ready to be on show, same reason Primal wasn't there.

Now on to an idea I had. All this talk of slipstream got me wondering if there was a viable market for Flame Toys to make a sort of custom expansion... Thing... For the seeker mold, like extra facial expressions, different sort of eye types (visors etc) with the end purpose to encourage fans to not only customise to other seeker characters, but to create wholly unique ones. After all if thd seeker body type in fiction is mass produced then stands to reason there's more then just the 20 odd that we know of.

Actually in a war that lasted 5 million years, I'd imagine the list of dead seekers is several hundred times greater then the list of the ones we know

[AcademyofDrX]

I don't think it's necessary to release a lot of new kits or expansion products to support seeker armies, they could just encourage fans to paint existing kits. Since they create a lot of repaints of existing molds, that's probably not something they want to do.

I expect they'll do coneheads soon, which will add to customization options with different wing and head types. I would personally like to see a Cyberverse-style seeker, particularly the broader, flatter chest/cockpit design like Slipstream has, but I don't know how likely that is.

I'd also like to point out that while there are connection points like joints that are relatively standardized, many of the parts for together in more precise ways that don't lend themselves to swapping parts. I think there are limitations on how much variety they could introduce while incorporating some level of interchangeability.

[ThunderThruster]

Given the presence of lots of IDW based kits in this line, I wonder if they'll do a Nautica given her popularity?

I like this thought. Fingers crossed you're right.
Having both Nautica to go next to Windblade would be very welcome.

[ZeroWolf]

I don't think it's necessary to release a lot of new kits or expansion products to support seeker armies, they could just encourage fans to paint existing kits. Since they create a lot of repaints of existing molds, that's probably not something they want to do.

I expect they'll do coneheads soon, which will add to customization options with different wing and head types. I would personally like to see a Cyberverse-style seeker, particularly the broader, flatter chest/cockpit design like Slipstream has, but I don't know how likely that is.

I'd also like to point out that while there are connection points like joints that are relatively standardized, many of the parts for together in more precise ways that don't lend themselves to swapping parts. I think there are limitations on how much variety they could introduce while incorporating some level of interchangeability.

Go on! Crush my dream why don't you!



In all serious, it was just an idea based on the custom options that Bandai put out for their high grade kits.

Also that nautica and Windblade set would need a Chromia for completion

[AcademyofDrX]

Have you tried repainting figures or model kits? Even if they all have the same facial expressions, you may find that unique coloration might make up for the lack of details through common faces. I've only done one painted custom so far, but I'm prepping for two or three more.

[Evil Eye]

I actually really, really like the idea myself. The idea of being able to army build and assemble your own squadron of Seekers with different "loadouts" would rock. At any rate, I'd buy them.

One source of weapons I'd like to suggest to people seeking (no pun intended) to give more armaments to their Furai Model TFs is Kotobukiya's Modelling Support Goods (or MSG) weapons. They're unpainted model kits, but they do everything from basic rifles and swords to more outlandish stuff like a giant ring saw (think Soul Calibur's Tira), a combining greatsword, and my personal favourite, a crucifix-shaped cannon/pile bunker weapon. They're AFAIK widely available at the usual import hobby sites like HLJ etc, and whilst they need paint to look their best they are fantastic designs.

[-Kanrabat-]

There should be additional parts in the seeker boxes. Parts to make fembots and coneheads.

I'd really, really love to make a gender-swapped Starscream.

[ZeroWolf]

Have you tried repainting figures or model kits? Even if they all have the same facial expressions, you may find that unique coloration might make up for the lack of details through common faces. I've only done one painted custom so far, but I'm prepping for two or three more.

I have I cut my teeth on Games Workshop figures before starting a gunpla addiction.

@BlackHat I'll have to have a look at those weapon packs They sound quite interesting.

[ThunderThruster]

Also that nautica and Windblade set would need a Chromia for completion

You're just trying for a fembot harem

[Evil Eye]

Have you tried repainting figures or model kits? Even if they all have the same facial expressions, you may find that unique coloration might make up for the lack of details through common faces. I've only done one painted custom so far, but I'm prepping for two or three more.

I have I cut my teeth on Games Workshop figures before starting a gunpla addiction.

@BlackHat I'll have to have a look at those weapon packs They sound quite interesting.

They are rather nice. Here's Revoltech Unit 02 demonstrating the axe component of the greatsword (blade painted very carefully with Molotow Liquid Chrome, with Mr. Thinner and a synthetic brush)

[ZeroWolf]

That looks really good, great job with the painting! The style fits in nicely with Eva

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Given the presence of lots of IDW based kits in this line, I wonder if they'll do a Nautica given her popularity?

I would love it if this happened. I need a proper IDW Nautica

[Evil Eye]

So my email to Flame Toys got answered, and I have good news!

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out.



We sincerely appreciate your support.

[FuraiModel]Wind Blade is still in progress.

However, we are dealing with some issues of it hence we deleted the post for now.



We will do our best and please do look forward to further information!



Best regards,

FLAMETOYS

Seems it's still in production, they were a bit vague, but by the wording of it I suspect the issues are possibly mechanical rather than outrage-based, so I imagine any changes to the design will be for functionality's sake.

In any case, hooray!

[ZeroWolf]

Was there any doubt? If it had been cancelled Hasbro would have likely addressed it (and tried to play to it to get Brownie points).

[-Kanrabat-]

Was there any doubt? If it had been cancelled Hasbro would have likely addressed it (and tried to play to it to get Brownie points).

Yup.

Outrage woke "culture" is finally losing some steam. But the road to freedom is still long.

[AcademyofDrX]

"Issues" could absolutely be issues with the design and licensing approval. If the issues were pretty mechanical, why would they take the original images down? I'm also not sure Hasbro would want to be seen taking an interventionist approach in the middle of the current situation, and if there are design changes, that could be an ongoing process rather than an event that is quickly concluded.

At any rate, there's not enough information to definitively determine what is happening or why. At a minimum, I expect a modified design, but how the design is modified remains to be seen.

[Evil Eye]

"Issues" could absolutely be issues with the design and licensing approval. If the issues were pretty mechanical, why would they take the original images down?

Probably because they'd no longer represent the product accurately. It could be something as simple as redesigned joints, but that would still render the prototype photos obsolete.

[Burn]

Was there any doubt? If it had been cancelled Hasbro would have likely addressed it (and tried to play to it to get Brownie points).

Yup.

Outrage woke "culture" is finally losing some steam. But the road to freedom is still long.

This is the last time I'm saying this to you.

Stop bringing that **** up.

[grimdragon2001]

So I messaged Flametoys on Facebook about Windblade just asking not to cancel it and got this as a reply.

"Hello,
Thank you for reaching out.

[FuraiModel]Wind Blade is still in progress.
However, we are dealing with some issues of it hence we removed the post for now.

We will do our best and please do look forward to further information!

Best regards,
FLAMETOYS"

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Translation: "Oops, we discovered she doesn't go together right and/or breaks when you try to build her"