ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:No, but combined with your complaints it gave the impression that you're less than willing to accept compromises made for transformation.
I'm not sure why my response bothered you so much, but "accept" and "like" can be on opposite sides of the spectrum and still both exist.
ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:I was hoping it didn't need explaining, but it felt like it needed emphasizing. Because it is and pretty much always has been a near-ubiquitous compromise with regard to foldaway fists, both for cost and other reasons.
You keep saying this like it's going to change my mind... "Always been...." was a part of my point. Just as lots of people say it's past time for other series and characters to get more attention, I'm saying that doing something that makes a figure look more complete can also happen by now.
And you've even given a list of how it's happened in the past, so it most definitely is possible. "Well, costs of plastic....". That still isn't good enough justification imo, especially considering what they did with the mold design and extra weapon.
ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:But knowing the design priorities, and - for the umpteenth time -
the fact that very few molds with foldaway fists have had the luxury of cover panels for them (even pre-austerity), should make the practice comprehensible - hopefully enough so to bear.
Here's something that
will make those holes look better though: They'll be a
looooooooot smaller in person than in the renders. I'm pretty darn sure that ER/Netflix Soundwave is not 9 1/2" tall.
So I opened my Soundblaster last night to check out the figure in-hand and up close.
--so let's all note, I have this mold... Clearly those gaps didn't keep me from getting it.
I can still think those gaps are really annoying. And they're still plenty large and noticeable, even on this small of a figure. The alt mode is weak imo, so to make it more cohesive, fine, add landing gear to do something to try to help it. This is not to suggest I think this figure's alt mode should've been a tape recorder.
For as much assuming as you've done, I'll throw out this assumption.
No 6-10 yr. old kid, nor adult would've been crushed about not having landing gear for the alt mode. Being a spaceship, it's not like a helicopter missing a tail rotor. People are still buying the seekers with no landing gear for the jet mode. More on them later.
I'm not saying people don't appreciate it. I'm sure some would've pointed it out if it didn't have landing gear. But to say those same people would claim the figure is now trash without it? First I'd ask, "Did you buy this figure solely for the alt mode? If so, sorry, man. Extra pieces for landing gear would've been cool, but hopefully you like the overall design of the ship enough. At least the bot mode is solid and complete, so there's that."
Agreed that the forearm spaces are so large because of his semi-extended finger on the left hand.
What's interesting, is you've clearly complained about that, however there have to be people (like me) that appreciate that Hastak did some extra molding to make that possible. It literally adds to this figure's main gimmick, and yet isn't a completely extended finger, so has a good balance of subtlety.
This feature adds to the playability; yet because you don't like it, it's "an issue"... Weird.
Also, now that I've looked at this mold up-close, my opinions have only been more confirmed.
Not only was it extra plastic for those landing gear pieces, it's extra plastic to have them attached-- such as the parts molded to the back of the figure. You telling me those pieces make the alt mode what it is (otherwise it's not a good enough cybertronian spaceship), or truly add that much to the play factor (4 simple steps of transformation) again, just doesn't justify this to me. So we can agree to disagree.
It has also sounded like you don't think covers would be possible... A flat, rectangular piece of plastic hinged to the bottom inside corner of the forearm is of course possible. The landing gear piece sits away from the arm further than a panel would, and has required molding that then includes a vertical pin.
This molding ends up being over 1/4" from the forearm itself (yes, I measured it)... I can promise, a flat, hinged panel could've been thinner and wouldn't have used
more plastic.
And since the panel would only meet the outside edge of the forearm, assuming the fist completely fits inside the space (which it does), then fist size doesn't matter.
A cover panel would've required a horizontal pin. So yeah, that hinge would've stuck out a little at that bottom inside corner of the forearm. But to say that would look worse than what it does now, or hinder precious playability is a a big stretch imo.
In fact, take the landing gear pieces
and the molding needed to attach the landing gear off the figure, and there's a chance you get to keep your "hammer handle rifle thing".
Sure this is a line full of weapon gimmicks... But interestingly enough, even if the figure mold itself used a lot of plastic, extra weapons sure aren't coming into play for 6 fairly major characters called the seekers... Seems someone didn't want to compromise much with the figure enough to throw in anything like a hammer handle rifle. Did the Siege seeker versions come with an extra weapon? I don't have them but didn't think so... So then roughly 8 figures aren't coming with extra weapons? *Shelf-warmer Alert!!!! Surely this lack of playability makes these figures garbage. I mean, I thought everything looked pretty good. But damn, extra weapons... Where are the extra weapons?!!?? Where is the landing gear? How can someone play with a jet that can't ever land properly?!!?!
Either way, the ER seekers show that going against trends, present or past, is possible.
This was part of my whole point... Whereas you feel changes for the better can't be made because of what's happened in the past, I'm saying screw that.
And in the grand scheme, what I'm addressing really isn't crazy...
It's not like I initially said, "This figure should've had forearm cover panels, wrist swivels, finger articulation, an ab crunch joint, double-jointed knees, a Slugfest, an Overkill, and a G1 Megatron alt mode pistol. But since it doesn't, it's garbage!"
And wait, wasn't it you that claimed (even half-seriously) that ER Soundwave should've just be given a new mold? With the Seige version already in existence, you think that's more realistic & less ridiculous than requesting forearm panels on the original mold just because it would omit landing gear???
Especially considering they knew ER/Netflix Soundwave was happening from the start... What will the landing gear on the arms be for now? Oh yeah, additional important weapons for playability, right?
All of this points to the bottom line-- we disagree, and that's okay to me.