The Energon Pub

[Munkky]

I wouldn't give up hope on the seeker 2 pack yet...
For one, I think we're getting real close to the point where that mold can't be improved much more.
I won't be surprised if with the next round of seekers (hopefully not for a long time from now), that lots of people will decide the ER versions are really pretty solid, and they'll save their money.
That is unless Hasbro makes really show-accurate versions that make them more appealing for some, or the new ones include some sort of gimmick or accessory that's somehow too good to pass up. Maybe taking the nose section of the jet and making it removable so there's not kibble in bot mode, but for some even that's not a good thing or an improvement. Maybe they'll have better articulation? But at what design and/or financial costs?

I'm getting to that stage now with a lot of figures. Earthrise so far has been so bloody good that I can't see myself buying any more toys of certain characters, even if they have some really cool gimmick tacked on. I can't see the Seekers getting much better than the Earthrise Voyager mould.
To be honest the idea of retiring from Transformers collecting after the end of Kingdom has been circling in my mind recently, because my Generations collection is rapidly reaching the point where I'm happy with it now. I'm just worried that Paradise Syndrome will kick in after a while and I'll end up binge buying potentially poor quality figures because "Oooo! A new Shockwave!"

[Emerje]

I see TFWiki has Thrust listed as "future wave", that sure isn't helping with the confusion of him being an exclusive.

Emerje

[Gauntlet101010]

I wouldn't give up hope on the seeker 2 pack yet...
For one, I think we're getting real close to the point where that mold can't be improved much more.
I won't be surprised if with the next round of seekers (hopefully not for a long time from now), that lots of people will decide the ER versions are really pretty solid, and they'll save their money.
That is unless Hasbro makes really show-accurate versions that make them more appealing for some, or the new ones include some sort of gimmick or accessory that's somehow too good to pass up. Maybe taking the nose section of the jet and making it removable so there's not kibble in bot mode, but for some even that's not a good thing or an improvement. Maybe they'll have better articulation? But at what design and/or financial costs?

I'm getting to that stage now with a lot of figures. Earthrise so far has been so bloody good that I can't see myself buying any more toys of certain characters, even if they have some really cool gimmick tacked on. I can't see the Seekers getting much better than the Earthrise Voyager mould.
To be honest the idea of retiring from Transformers collecting after the end of Kingdom has been circling in my mind recently, because my Generations collection is rapidly reaching the point where I'm happy with it now. I'm just worried that Paradise Syndrome will kick in after a while and I'll end up binge buying potentially poor quality figures because "Oooo! A new Shockwave!"

I kinda feel this way too.

A lot of ER toys are, I think, as good as they'll get. Or that, even if they make better versions, I won't necessarily want them. The Seeker is a good example. Ironhide / Ratchet, Prowl & co., Soundwave, Shockwave ... it's all happening right now, which is a bit much or my wallet, but after that ... I dunno. I think we've hit peak G1 classics. I still like most of what I've already got already and if they replace the ones I'm only so-so with I can see myself being done.

[Sabrblade]

I see TFWiki has Thrust listed as "future wave", that sure isn't helping with the confusion of him being an exclusive.

Emerje

Kindly don't blame the whole wiki for the edits of one user not in the know about Thrust's ambiguous release status.

And regardless, it's only tentative info. When more comes to light, the proper corrections will undoubtedly be made.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Within the last week I got the vibe (from actual posts) that some preferred the Studio Series thread to stick to live action-based conversation rather than anything G1.

To me that sounds like the same Low Brow elitism that flourishes within this fanbase. Transformers The Movie (oddly enough) is a Transformers Movie! Just like Bayformers and Bumblebee. Technically, Bayformers is it's own G1. So get over it.

[Gauntlet101010]

Within the last week I got the vibe (from actual posts) that some preferred the Studio Series thread to stick to live action-based conversation rather than anything G1.

To me that sounds like the same Low Brow elitism that flourishes within this fanbase. Transformers The Movie (oddly enough) is a Transformers Movie! Just like Bayformers and Bumblebee. Technically, Bayformers is it's own G1. So get over it.

TBH, I'd support splitting the thread into Bay and G1.

They're different fans looking for different things from their toys. And it would keep bickering over product to a minimum.

[aronjlove]

Within the last week I got the vibe (from actual posts) that some preferred the Studio Series thread to stick to live action-based conversation rather than anything G1.

To me that sounds like the same Low Brow elitism that flourishes within this fanbase. Transformers The Movie (oddly enough) is a Transformers Movie! Just like Bayformers and Bumblebee. Technically, Bayformers is it's own G1. So get over it.

TBH, I'd support splitting the thread into Bay and G1.

They're different fans looking for different things from their toys. And it would keep bickering over product to a minimum.

Well, not just bickering but all the other reasons companies have separate product lines. With Studio Series being purely live-action, Cyberverse related directly to the cartoon, and WFC basically, until now, a retelling of G1, buyers could easily pick up products they desired based upon packaging alone. Not everyone buying is a fan, some are friends or family of fans. And they could easily see if what the fan wanted is on the shelf. Now, that's going away, sort of. Are those red Studio boxes live-action or the animated movie. Same with the third part of WFC. The boxes will be uniform and you won't know if they have a beast or vehicle inside. There are reasons companies have separate product lines and someone at Hasbro apparently forgot. Or watched too many old Reese's commercials, "Hey you got your peanut butter in my chocolate!".

[Sowndwave76]

Thanks to those who shared the '86 line-up lists...
I was (and still am) hoping for a leader class Snarl... And even Sludge before Grimlock. I think Swoop could be pulled off as a large voyager, and it's a bit safer to assume that Grimlock would get made as some point.
TBH, I hope Hastak steps up and makes all 5 leader class. I think I mentioned in another post of another thread, that with a proper update, I would take the figures with minimal weapons, accessories, etc. (I know they're being packed with another character).
But Hastak would probably make even more off of me if they created a weapons pack with all of their weapons and a few extras to make it more enticing for even more people... Whether it's energon cubes, explosion piece add-in's, etc.

I'm getting to that stage now with a lot of figures. Earthrise so far has been so bloody good that I can't see myself buying any more toys of certain characters, even if they have some really cool gimmick tacked on. I can't see the Seekers getting much better than the Earthrise Voyager mould.
To be honest the idea of retiring from Transformers collecting after the end of Kingdom has been circling in my mind recently, because my Generations collection is rapidly reaching the point where I'm happy with it now. I'm just worried that Paradise Syndrome will kick in after a while and I'll end up binge buying potentially poor quality figures because "Oooo! A new Shockwave!"

Totally get this... I was actually more than okay with the Classics Seeker mold, but the upped scale made these ER versions worth it to me. Along with skipping out on so much other stuff, there wasn't much strain on my budget when it was time to pull the trigger.
I won't claim I ever "retired", but I've taken multiple hiatuses, and am very selective in what I buy now. And personally because I don't really "play" with my figures, gimmicks mean nothing to me, and usually end up causing a design compromise that annoys the crap out of me.
I obvsly can only speak for myself, but back with '07 line I learned my lesson with binge buying...
For me it's one of those things where when I know I want a figure, there's no question... When I don't have the feeling of "I REALLY want that one", I pump the brakes, usually don't bite, and later on I'm very thankful I resisted.

[Sowndwave76]

A lot of ER toys are, I think, as good as they'll get. Or that, even if they make better versions, I won't necessarily want them. The Seeker is a good example. Ironhide / Ratchet, Prowl & co., Soundwave, Shockwave ... it's all happening right now, which is a bit much or my wallet, but after that ... I dunno. I think we've hit peak G1 classics. I still like most of what I've already got already and if they replace the ones I'm only so-so with I can see myself being done.

This is about where I am too... And the nice thing is, it's felt good to be done for different chunks of time in the past since I started collecting back in '05-'06. There's plenty of other stuff to do, let alone funneling money to other, most likely more important areas. That's a pretty good feeling as well.
But I do think the industry is getting to the point where until there's some sort of breakthrough with manufacturing technology, "classics" stuff is pretty much at its peak.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

They're different fans looking for different things from their toys. And it would keep bickering over product to a minimum.

Which is just splitting hairs. That in itself creates the bickering, out of nothing. It is exactly the same thing as saying 'Revenge of The Fallen' shouldn't be part of the Studio Series.

The fact is Transformer Movies existed before 2007. That distinction applies to a single film. The 1986 Movie, by the same token, does not contain the entirety of the G1 cast. Basically a 'best of'. A workable movie-sized roster. As with all the other TF movies. Bayformers will continue within the Studio series, as there are far more characters within those movies (plus Bumblebee) than the single movie that preceded them 21 years prior. The impact will be minimal.


We're all the same fans, regarding the same series. Everything else is just elitist nonsense.

[Sowndwave76]

Within the last week I got the vibe (from actual posts) that some preferred the Studio Series thread to stick to live action-based conversation rather than anything G1.

To me that sounds like the same Low Brow elitism that flourishes within this fanbase. Transformers The Movie (oddly enough) is a Transformers Movie! Just like Bayformers and Bumblebee. Technically, Bayformers is it's own G1. So get over it.

Yeah, while I agree with your first statement, just for forum purposes, I don't mind if the live action and animated movie threads are separated. You definitely have a point, but for convenience and ease of finding info and posts being more cohesive, I don't think divided threads is a horrible thing.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Better take that up in the Studio Series thread. Back to Earthrise!

Honestly, after looking at the images from Friday, I'm surprised at the amount of retools. Not that that's a bad thing, in fact they offer cohesiveness(?) between Cybertronian and Earth Modes. Ironhide seems to be the worst off however needing a separate non-integrated part for the top of the van.

[ZeroWolf]

They would only get separated if the 86 figures were a sub line of Studio Series, just like Netflix figures. This isn't the place for a discussion on G1 in Studio Series though.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

It is weird that whenever people mention these series by the lead title: WFC, other than by SIEGE or Earthrise, I automatically think of...



These guys. I miss this line...

[TF-fan kev777]

Behold! Scrapface the snake master!

Weeljack: Hold my beer...

Wheeljack: You don't just master the snakes, you become the snakesssssssssss...

[aronjlove]

Behold! Scrapface the snake master!

Weeljack: Hold my beer...

20200718_232424.jpg

Wheeljack: You don't just master the snakes, you become the snakesssssssssss...

[Sowndwave76]

So far I think all of the ER figures look really solid...
I don't so much mind the battle damage paint apps of the Siege figures, but I think for pretty much every single figure, both modes of the ER versions are better.

Unless Ironhide's back looks weird and unfinished (in bot mode), why does it matter about the van roof/shield?
If a figure looks good in each mode, why does a separate piece make some huge difference?
There have been hundreds of complaints in the past about figures with kibble (which is fine, I get this can be annoying and take away from a figure's appearance).
But if a piece can be removed to help eliminate this issue without compromising the appearance of one or even both modes, what else do you want?
Maybe Hastak has the engineering sorted; separate parts are truly unnecessary and they're just waiting to drop these improvements for the next big line so we're all roped back in and digging into our checking accounts.
Just seems to me that for figures at this scale it's a good design compromise.

I can definitely critique things, but I also then want to give credit where it's due.
These ER figures look pretty damn good.

[aronjlove]

It is weird that whenever people mention these series by the lead title: WFC, other than by SIEGE or Earthrise, I automatically think of...



These guys. I miss this line...

Such a good dame and the figures from the game are so awesome they still command decent prices on BBTS when they come back in stock.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

I think it is the last time they were really creative with an entire line.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Better take that up in the Studio Series thread. Back to Earthrise!

Honestly, after looking at the images from Friday, I'm surprised at the amount of retools. Not that that's a bad thing, in fact they offer cohesiveness(?) between Cybertronian and Earth Modes. Ironhide seems to be the worst off however needing a separate non-integrated part for the top of the van.

Well, it's because the top of the SIEGE van mode was made from his blocky arms and some panels on his legs, and was rather flat as a result. Getting the somewhat rounded roof of an Earth minivan (and trying to blend his feet into the body) would require either a separate piece or having more panel mass on his legs. At least Ironhide's shield actually looks like a decent shield (unlike Arcee or CJ/Bumblebee, and the latter can at least stick the kibble on their back without it looking stupid).


However, I'm still disappointed because it's going to be this ^ only even less impressive...


...and what I wanted was this.

[Sabrblade]

It is weird that whenever people mention these series by the lead title: WFC, other than by SIEGE or Earthrise, I automatically think of...

You're not alone, which is why I'm glad I'm starting to see more people using "WFCT" instead. Makes things less confusing.

Still not over the previous confusion of "Universe (2003)" and "Universe (2008)", or "RiD 2001" and "RID 2015" (and all the other RIDs out there).

[aronjlove]

I'd like to share my adventures in getting this friggin' elusive exclusive, hope you all got some popcorn

Sowndwave76 convinced me yesterday of something vital. Exclusives suck, but they suck even more if you do not get them at retail price. Because of the nature of collecting, these items can command a steep price on the secondary market. I want Chaos on Velocitron so bad just to have Laser Prime and Nautica, but I refuse to pay $300 plus. Thank goodness I picked up Amazon Skywarp in stock because it sells for triple or quadruple on eBay like nothing.

With that in mind, I decided I need this set. Opened the app, and it said there was one 25 minutes away. My bro picked me up, and on the way there, it went out of stock. We even went inside and couldn't find it. Get home, open the app, and see it in another Target about 20 minutes away but in the opposite direction—no big deal since it was late and I wouldn't be going until the next day. So I order for pick up to secure my set. Sometime between 7 am and 8 am my phone gets a notification saying it is out of stock there, but now in stock at the original store. WTF! So I confirm the new order, and my bro picks it up for me since he went that way today anyways. He brings it to me, and I am so happy as Skywarp looks pimp with the sweet, sweet purple. I pull him about, and his chest pops open. Didn't think much, just popped it back and pulled out Thundercracker. Put him down and go back to Skywarp, chest pops open. WTF! I look closer, and his waist is misassembled, there was a centimeter or two gap on the right hip that caused the chest piece not to fit right. Argh! I open the app, and of course, where he was picked up from is out of stock. I drive down anyways, thinking at least I'll get a refund. I get there, and they show one on the floor. They find it. I check the package, and the hips look excellent on both Skywarp and Thundercracker.

Two days, three trips later, but I got the dang thing

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

...I think you might mean millimeter. If the gap was a whole centimeter, I wanna see photos of that O.O

[Jelze Bunnycat]

...I think you might mean millimeter. If the gap was a whole centimeter, I wanna see photos of that O.O

2 cm would be almost a full inch, so yeah, pretty big gap.

I still dislike imperial, mind you.

[Sowndwave76]

Two days, three trips later, but I got the dang thing

Congrats, man! Glad that worked out!!