The Energon Pub

I'm just wondering if people are really diggin' this or not. I personally don't like it. I'm not starting this thread to be argumentative or say my opinion is better than yours so lets please don't go there. But, I hate how the figures have all this jagged pieces just stuck to them. I just saw that seibertron posted up protos of the new Shockwave. All i could think of is how cool he looks except he has all that jaggity yellow junk hanging off him. I feel the same about the other figures I've seen in the line. If it's a new figure of some beast and it's warranted to have jaggity parts then, hey, fine I'm cool with that but why does every bot have to have that going on? I don't know, I'm just disappointed with it.

The figures look somewhat bland, save for a few that look great. Abominus looks like something I'd love, Predaking is a 'meh' at best.

I am looking forward to the cartoon, though.

So far, only one figure (Smokescreen) is in my purchase list. However, I'm also helping a UK friend buying them and he has 5 in his list.

RhA wrote:I am looking forward to the cartoon, though.

Ditto. Although I can only wait for DVD.

Hmm gotta say im digging the beast hunters line. I like the predacons and the new voyagers are awesome. The spikey asthetic I kinda like the look of them. Bumblebee is the first bee ive truely liked.

It's mostly crap IMO...but whatevs, I already quit buying the Prime line so it just makes it that much easier.

Of more concern is whether the resumed Classics will pick up where it left off or resume with the craptastic designs of the latest 'Generations' line. If the latter, I'd prefer they just kept Classics in hibernation. Hoping beyond hope that Metroplex doesn't pull a FoC Grimlock where it looks awesome in the reveal stage, but once you get it in hand all you're left with is a huge WTF...

paul053 wrote:So far, only one figure (Smokescreen) is in my purchase list. However, I'm also helping a UK friend buying them and he has 5 in his list.

RhA wrote:I am looking forward to the cartoon, though.

Ditto. Although I can only wait for DVD.

Youtube usually has 'em sometime soon after the original broadcast.

I'm interested in only the Predacons. It's nice to be getting some decent Beastformers again after this long while.

The rest of the stuff so far is pretty Meh.

I like the Predacons, and I like Voyager OP. I will probably buy most of the Predacons and a few Voyagers.

The Deluxe Autobots are just uglier versions of Prime Deluxes*, so I have no interest in them. (*except Smokescreen, but I don't like his bot mode with its fake chest hood)

The cartoon should be good, but most of the deluxe line so far ranges from bland to terrible (I'm looking at YOU BH Ratchet, with your ill-fitting Dinobot II homage). Smokescreen shines, and Wheeljack is very fun if you don't already have the regular version or find him on sale. The Predacons so far do nothing for me. I mean...they're just so lazy, it's like they aren't even trying with the transformations, they don't do anything interesting. I grew up with Beast Wars and I loves me some good beastformers, but I want more than legs become legs, arms become arms. I DO realize the utility of that engineering, but it's boring. I want things like...Fuzor Sky Shadow and Cybertron Wreckloose. They mix up the typical beastformer transformations with some very effective tricks. I'm especially fond of asymmetry in beastformers.

For exmaple, when we first saw Ripclaw, I was very excited, I thought the tail would become the arms and it would do something ineteresting with the transformation. Now? I don't even want to bother with it. Every single Predacon so far just has the same boring transformation.

The Voyagers are a bit more promising on the whole. Optimus looks great (thought I'm not a fan of the head), and the upcoming Ultra Magnus retool-mold-fusion looks fantastic. And I'm prepared to gush over how good Shockwave looks.

But the stuff I'm REALLY exited for? ABOMINUS! Cybervers Legion scale, sure, but ohhhhh man, this thing is going to be fantastic. All of the Terrorcons look solid on their own, and I can NOT wait to see Abominus in full, glorious color.\
Oh, and Airachnid finally got a decent figure.
As for CV Commanders, Trailbreaker looks awesome, and Shockwave looks just as good as his big brother, if not better for being cleaner.

RAcast wrote: The Predacons so far do nothing for me. I mean...they're just so lazy, it's like they aren't even trying with the transformations, they don't do anything interesting. I grew up with Beast Wars and I loves me some good beastformers, but I want more than legs become legs, arms become arms. ...

What about Voyager Predaking? The body splits to become the legs.

GuyIncognito wrote:

RAcast wrote: The Predacons so far do nothing for me. I mean...they're just so lazy, it's like they aren't even trying with the transformations, they don't do anything interesting. I grew up with Beast Wars and I loves me some good beastformers, but I want more than legs become legs, arms become arms. ...

What about Voyager Predaking? The body splits to become the legs.

Yeah, but I'm not a fan of either the dragon or robot modes, lol.

ABSOLUTELY!

....and making things even more exciting...I just got the notice that my Beast Hunters Smokescreen was just delivered to my house moments ago!

YES!

I don't care for spiky remolds of last year's toys. I didn't buy them the first time, not going to now.

I don't like how ALL the mainline Predacons have the same kind of alt modes, the same kind of transformation, and the same kind of robot modes. Where's the variety? Predaking's legs are mildly interesting, but can't save the entire faction.

Abominus, on the other hand, looks awesome. How a bunch of Legion figures manages to look more impressive eludes me, but it's a near-constant feature of Cyberverse.

BH Arcee is a really nice hmoage to Energon Arcee which I'll probably customize.. Other than that, the line itself is just not in tune with anything I like.

Noideaforaname wrote:Where's the variety?

Alright, class. Prime Predacons 101

I don't like how ALL the mainline Predacons have the same kind of alt modes,

The Predacons are meant to be a bunch of dragons, just like the Autobots are meant to be a bunch of land vehicles. What's the difference?

But let's get into specifics. Lazerback doesn't have wings like the other three. Skystalker has a completely different wing design from Predaking and Ripclaw. And Predaking and Ripclaw are two different size classes.

Alt. mode variety striked.

the same kind of transformation,

Ripclaw's neck splits to become her shoulders. Predaking you already mentioned. Only Lazerback and Skystalker share similar transformations in hiding the dragon mode head and standing up. Although, Lazerback's tail detaching counts as a difference.

Transformation variety striked.

and the same kind of robot modes.

You're right. They all look the same. Might as well be the same mold.






Class dismissed. Homework assignments due on Tuesday.

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I'm leaving out Vertebreak because he's a straight up redeco of Lazerback without differences. Anything that goes for him impacts Lazerback as well.

GuyIncognito wrote:

RAcast wrote: The Predacons so far do nothing for me. I mean...they're just so lazy, it's like they aren't even trying with the transformations, they don't do anything interesting. I grew up with Beast Wars and I loves me some good beastformers, but I want more than legs become legs, arms become arms. ...

What about Voyager Predaking? The body splits to become the legs.

I got Predaking on Sunday, and I must say the leg transformation is really interesting to me. It's the best part of the toy, as sad as that sounds. Not to mean he's a dud, but the leg transformation is the highlight of him.

I really, really want to like the BH figures, because I really like that they all turn into dragons basically. But, honestly, I can't see myself actually investing in this line. I got Predaking, and I like the grey griffin Voyager that was shown at Toy Fair, and I'm getting Abominus even if I have to push children to get one, but that's probably it. The pics of Shockwave from today look good too, but I have a feeling that my buying from this line is going to be minimal, as the price skyrocket even rules these things out as impulse buys or just to pick up a new toy kind of purchases.

PrymeStriker wrote:

Noideaforaname wrote:Where's the variety?

Alright, class. Prime Predacons 101

I don't like how ALL the mainline Predacons have the same kind of alt modes,

The Predacons are meant to be a bunch of dragons, just like the Autobots are meant to be a bunch of land vehicles. What's the difference?

But let's get into specifics. Lazerback doesn't have wings like the other three. Skystalker has a completely different wing design from Predaking and Ripclaw. And Predaking and Ripclaw are two different size classes.

Alt. mode variety striked.

the same kind of transformation,

Ripclaw's neck splits to become her shoulders. Predaking you already mentioned. Only Lazerback and Skystalker share similar transformations in hiding the dragon mode head and standing up. Although, Lazerback's tail detaching counts as a difference.

Transformation variety striked.

and the same kind of robot modes.

You're right. They all look the same. Might as well be the same mold.


Class dismissed. Homework assignments due on Tuesday.

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I'm leaving out Vertebreak because he's a straight up redeco of Lazerback without differences. Anything that goes for him impacts Lazerback as well.

My time on the site is often limited these days, but have we really already sunk to this for a bunch of figures that aren't even widely available at retail yet?
If we're really going to be this literal and nit picky because some guy doesn't like the Predacons, then we might as well point out that 'striked' is an incorrect useage.
I just posted this elsewhere, but I really like the Predaking leg transformation thing, but honestly, he basically stands up straight and then is a robot.
Yes, the Autobots are all land vehicles, but there is obviously more of a difference between a truck like Prime and a sports car like BB than there is between a dragon and a different kind of dragon. If wing design is truly the greatest measure of difference that is available for discussion, I think we're reaching much too far.

TF Prime has impressed me as a show, it is really well done.... At first glance it seems corny to rebrand the line Beast Hunters and dedicate a whole season to it.

But if the next season is good I'm sure there will be people picking up a few extra figures than they originally planned.

Who knows maybe there will be some surprise reveals. Maybe they are saving the best for last?

While I've got nothing against the Beast Hunters line, I'm skipping everything.

As much as I like TFP for its wonderfully told story and stellar characterization, I was never a fan of the designs. But despite that, I liked the characters enough to have bought FE Arcee, PRID Soundwave, AM Starscream, Vehicon, War Breakdown and even Knockout.

The BH line's beast modes and spiky armor just doesn't appeal to me. I don't know, maybe I might change my mind after watching the 3rd season, but based on the designs themselves right now, I'm saving my cash for MP's and Generations Springer and Blitzwing. Hell, I haven't even gotten around to buying FOC Kickback and Starscream yet.

I like them. Not gonna buy em but im tempted. I'm happy to see some mechanized beasties coming back instead of Beast Wars style stuff which i don't like so much.
Plus they're introducing new characters again which is refreshing. Same characters over and over again gets boring. Onward and upward as the saying goes.
One thing i've noticed with this first wave is that all these figures are very dragon/reptile oriented. Hopefully they'll mix it up a bit and create some weird stuff.

Dagon wrote:If we're really going to be this literal and nit picky because some guy doesn't like the Predacons,

If he just doesn't like them, then he just doesn't like them. There's not enough variety, but it's blasphemous to say there's no variety whatsoever. He asked "where's the variety," so I answered him.

Yes, the Autobots are all land vehicles, but there is obviously more of a difference between a truck like Prime and a sports car like BB than there is between a dragon and a different kind of dragon.

A better example is the G1 Stunticons. Not including Motormaster, they were four near-identical cars with the same basic transformation, with only a few differences. All of them essentially pushed in their arms in and flipped their back kibble up to transform from robot to vehicle. Their leg transformations differed...that's it. How is that different than a Prime Predacon "standing up" with some transformation differentiation?

PrymeStriker wrote:

Yes, the Autobots are all land vehicles, but there is obviously more of a difference between a truck like Prime and a sports car like BB than there is between a dragon and a different kind of dragon.

A better example is the G1 Stunticons. Not including Motormaster, they were four near-identical cars with the same basic transformation, with only a few differences. All of them essentially pushed in their arms in and flipped their back kibble up to transform from robot to vehicle. Their leg transformations differed...that's it. How is that different than a Prime Predacon "standing up" with some transformation differentiation?

They're VERY different. For starters, the Stunticons have a good excuse. They're G1 scramble combiner limbs. They have to be similar by necessity.
Further, there's a BIG gap in technology and intricacy between ANYTHING we have today and the G1 scramble limbs. Just go back to Beast Wars, yes, most quadrupedal altmodes had robot modes where either arms became arms or legs became legs, but usually not both. And if it did do both, then there was some intricacy, some interesting thing that separated it somehow. The Prime Predacons LITERALLY all have the same transformation for the arms and legs. The chest/tail/back section either (a) folds into the chest or (b) folds into backpack kibble. Beyond that, there's no variation; and that little 'variation' is...pitiful at best.

Of course I'm looking forward to the line, despite the relative lack of army-builders. I love having additional factions to play with, and I've always liked beastformers with vaguely dinosaurid forms.

Plus, Shockwave finally has a new voyager scale toy, which I think we can all agree is awesome.

The new spiky retools are a bit meh, but I'll probably buy some of them. How many I buy depends on how closely the figures match up to the show's aesthetic. If Starscream really does end up looking like that, I'll buy his atrocious new figure. Otherwise, I'll get Smokescreen and Bulkhead. I'm still on the fence about Wheeljack and Arcee.

Magnus's only selling point is the forge. I like his PRID voyager far better than the PRID OP voyager mold. I like Predaking and his three revealed toys. I like Optimus's new design, but don't like his Ultimate mold very much, so I'll stick with the voyager.

I'll be picking and choosing.

RAcast wrote:the Stunticons have a good excuse.

And the Prime Predacon's don't have a good excuse? The Prime Predacons are a species. A prehistoric race to Cybertron. The minor yet notable differences between Skystalker and Ripclaw can be compared to the different features of a chameleon versus a gecko. The only reason they have individuality, or even transform for all we know, is because Shockwave cloned them all billions of years later. They have to be similar by their function within the fiction.

Not digging the line either. Very little is appealing to me, but that works out in my favor since I shouldn't be buying anything anyway