The Energon Pub

so before making a purchase on a toy, what do you look for?
is it full body articulation and cool acessories that come with or something else.

1. character: eg Starscream, Prime, Ironhide Don't like Jazz.
2.design: eg: Ironhide, Blackout
3. details eg: Ironhide
4. No design flaws: No No for Blackout, Brawl
5. Durable figure: Hates fragile toys.
6. Unique or complex transformation: at least unique
7. Normal articulation: Basically just decent is enough. No waist is ok.

+ X-factor

or else no buy

the most important has to be character...then series i guess articulation is important i hate loose figures and figures that cant move...anything else well the exeption is if im trying to complete a series

i really look for a figure on a certain ranking

1. paint and sculpt - for accuracy

2. articulation - for poseability purpose and mind you some times articulation ruinns the sculpt but not in the case of tf toys because they are robots (articulated joints like screws or balls look less obvious than human figure...)

3. accessories - i'll go for accessories as long as the figure can support them because sometimes tendencies of too much accessories leaves them hanging around then starting to loose...

4.features - im not fond of lights and sounds but as long as they are not ruining the sculpt or paint or articulation of a figure i'll go with those...

If the robot and alt forms are cool looking.

Character is number one. If the character isn't cool I probably won't buy the figure.

Concept is number two. The basic idea behind the figure. A tank will always score more points than a car in this category because the concept of a tank becoming a giant robot is a lot cooler to me than a car becomeing a giant robot.

Special features is three. I know I'm a complete sucker for gestalts and the such. However, stupid features can ruin the figure for me like "Battle lights and sounds!" I just stare and say "That's it? That's all you have?? Lame..." That is unles factors 1 or 2 already had me purchase the figure...

Color is four. A purple tank won't make it unless his name is Shockwave which goes back to factor #1.

Design is five. How the tank looks as a tank and how the robot looks as a robot. (eg. I never bought X-brawn because the robot mode was silly with the front of the car being his whole arm. Just my opinion of course)

Thanatos Prime wrote:Character is number one. If the character isn't cool I probably won't buy the figure.

Concept is number two. The basic idea behind the figure. A tank will always score more points than a car in this category because the concept of a tank becoming a giant robot is a lot cooler to me than a car becomeing a giant robot.

Special features is three. I know I'm a complete sucker for gestalts and the such. However, stupid features can ruin the figure for me like "Battle lights and sounds!" I just stare and say "That's it? That's all you have?? Lame..." That is unles factors 1 or 2 already had me purchase the figure...

Color is four. A purple tank won't make it unless his name is Shockwave which goes back to factor #1.

Design is five. How the tank looks as a tank and how the robot looks as a robot. (eg. I never bought X-brawn because the robot mode was silly with the front of the car being his whole arm. Just my opinion of course)

I would have to agree in all points except character, i'd would not put it as the first and foremost reason. although it is important, its not the most important factor.

Obviously a purple tank unless he is Shockwave would be hard to swallow. But i would still buy a great looking tank with a good robot mode, even if his character in the accompanying cartoon was lame and or annoying. Just because the figure in itself has more value than the character it represents.

It also works the other way, if the character is really cool, but the figure completely sucks, then I won't buy it. Case in pint Movie Blackout. totally cool character, increasingly bad execution of his toy.

Lights and sounds have less of a bearing than a cool robot mode.

Also some gimmicks can really hurt a figure. case in point Energon's combination gimmick. some figures really suffered to allow for the gimmick to function. (Downshift, Hot Shot...).

In Otherwords i'd rather have a great looking robot and car mode, than have ti do lots of things.

Although for a Gestalt, i can turn a blind eye to a lot of shortcomings. Yes I'm also a sucker for gestalts.

Overcracker wrote:

Thanatos Prime wrote:Character is number one. If the character isn't cool I probably won't buy the figure.

Concept is number two. The basic idea behind the figure. A tank will always score more points than a car in this category because the concept of a tank becoming a giant robot is a lot cooler to me than a car becomeing a giant robot.

Special features is three. I know I'm a complete sucker for gestalts and the such. However, stupid features can ruin the figure for me like "Battle lights and sounds!" I just stare and say "That's it? That's all you have?? Lame..." That is unles factors 1 or 2 already had me purchase the figure...

Color is four. A purple tank won't make it unless his name is Shockwave which goes back to factor #1.

Design is five. How the tank looks as a tank and how the robot looks as a robot. (eg. I never bought X-brawn because the robot mode was silly with the front of the car being his whole arm. Just my opinion of course)

I would have to agree in all points except character, i'd would not put it as the first and foremost reason. although it is important, its not the most important factor.

Obviously a purple tank unless he is Shockwave would be hard to swallow. But i would still buy a great looking tank with a good robot mode, even if his character in the accompanying cartoon was lame and or annoying. Just because the figure in itself has more value than the character it represents.

It also works the other way, if the character is really cool, but the figure completely sucks, then I won't buy it. Case in pint Movie Blackout. totally cool character, increasingly bad execution of his toy.

Lights and sounds have less of a bearing than a cool robot mode.

Also some gimmicks can really hurt a figure. case in point Energon's combination gimmick. some figures really suffered to allow for the gimmick to function. (Downshift, Hot Shot...).

In Otherwords i'd rather have a great looking robot and car mode, than have ti do lots of things.

Although for a Gestalt, i can turn a blind eye to a lot of shortcomings. Yes I'm also a sucker for gestalts.

I agree completely about the character thing. It's just the first thing I look for. It can be the worst Optimus Prime figure in exsistance but I'll stil consider buying it because it's prime. If all the other factors are negative like bad design, poor colors, poor alt mode then I won't buy it no matter who it is.

You have to take my factors as the order they come in. I'll probably never consider 3-5 if I already like 1 and 2. If He was a nobody character and the concept was poor, that's when I look for gimmicks.

A decent example of this was RiD Prime. I love Optimus so #1 passed but he was a fire truck not a semi so #2 failed but he combined with Ultra magnus, #3 passed. Now I've decided that I can't live without him but I'll continue to demonstrate my formula. He was a red fire truck not blue or black or something stupid #4 passed. His truck mode looked fantastic and his bot mode looked okay except for his hammerpants legs, but his super mode was beautiful. #5 passed.

To each their own, that's just how I do it...

A complex transformation, mostly.

I know what you mean. And yeah i probably look at who it is before going further.

And R.I.D. prime is stil the highlight of my collection. I actually picked him up Because he was Prime. The Firetruck had little bearing in the decision, but his combination gimmick with Magnus that's what sold him.

And he's actually responsible for me getting into collecting all those years ago. Also he's got some of the best Sounds (Actual phrases) of any toy with lights and sounds I know.


And i just love the fact that Magnus has changing sounds depending on whether he is combined or with Prime, or is holding his gun. or is just standing there. Its very cool.

Thanatos Prime wrote:Character is number one. If the character isn't cool I probably won't buy the figure.

Concept is number two. The basic idea behind the figure. A tank will always score more points than a car in this category because the concept of a tank becoming a giant robot is a lot cooler to me than a car becomeing a giant robot.

QFT. Agree.