The Energon Pub

[Evil Eye]

What the hell is it with you and paint apps? You understand that paint has very little to do with how good a figure will look right? It's all about execution, plus it's been talked about and proved before that more paint typically equals more qc issues

I agree. Case in point, Combiner Wars Leader Megatron. He arguably has the most paint apps we have seen in years from hasbro and yet that hasnt swayed Hellscream in any way into buying the figure.

Plus, when we look back at the alternators line, everyone preferred Smokescreen over Silvestreak even though they were the same mold and Silverstreak was the only fully painted figure of the Hasbro line.

In the end, paint apps arent everything. They can make a good figure even better but they can't save a figure. And they arent needed inorder to appreciate a figure. They can also, as steal_your_goats said, make a figure even worse. He was talking about qc issues but it can be worse than that. Look at below and tell me which of the two you would rather own? Is it the one with more paint or less?


Transformers Animated Bulkhead (Ironhide) Gallery

Oh my, he's so SHINY...

[william-james88]

Oh my, he's so SHINY...

The shine is nice, but the colour is where the problem is, no?

The shiny paint worked wonders for Ironhide/Armourhide and Rodimus...


Transformers Animated Ironhide (Armorhide) Gallery


Transformers Animated Rodimus Minor (Rodimus) Gallery

... but kind of failed for Bumblebee and Bulkhead


Transformers Animated Bumblebee Gallery

[Evil Eye]

Aye, it certainly isn't show accurate at all, though I do think it's a very attractive hue. Kinda reminds me of the G1 Hound toy.

Also, with a new head that Bumblebee would make a superb Goldbug.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

What the hell is it with you and paint apps? You understand that paint has very little to do with how good a figure will look right? It's all about execution, plus it's been talked about and proved before that more paint typically equals more qc issues

At the same time though, the execution wasn't that good for some figures, which is the big gripe. Sunsteaker and Dragstrip just look so plain it hurts. Takara's Defensor also looked disappointing as it gave up some paint applications on the chest and thighs and just colored it plain to match the animation model, which really did not flatter the figure. As a result, the Hasbro version to us looked much better since the paint made the figures look less bland and did not ignore some molded in detail.

[william-james88]

Sunsteaker and Dragstrip just look so plain it hurts.

Hasbro was plain too, but on different ones. Did you know that Hasbro's Wheeljack was part of a band? They are called the Plain White Ts

[Hellscream9999]

Sunsteaker and Dragstrip just look so plain it hurts.

Hasbro was plain too, but on different ones. Did you know that Hasbro's Wheeljack was part of a band? They are called the Plain White Ts

Yeah, no way I'm defending that hideously unpainted mess.

[Hellscream9999]

What the hell is it with you and paint apps? You understand that paint has very little to do with how good a figure will look right? It's all about execution, plus it's been talked about and proved before that more paint typically equals more qc issues

Actually, it has a great deal to do with how good a figure looks, and I agree about execution - which is why I feel the way I do about the UW combiners. I don't necessarily need paint apps, but I do need the figure's deco to be broken up nicely; case in point hasbro's quillfire. He looks excellent despite having almost no paint apps, due to using 4 different colors of plastic to break up the deco. But Devs was nearly completely unpainted, and he was mostly comprised of a garish green plastic - especially on the legs, he needed something to break up all that green. UW Defensor had a horrible deco in combined mode, it was just bland paint sneezed over all the incredible molded detail he had, total waste - UW Computron looks to be going the same way, it'll look as bland and un-detailed as cw betatron. UW Dragstrip goes without explaining I think

I agree. Case in point, Combiner Wars Leader Megatron. He arguably has the most paint apps we have seen in years from hasbro and yet that hasnt swayed Hellscream in any way into buying the figure.

Right, lets get one thing straight. I don't care how good a figure looks if it can't pose - or look good posing. I already know how solid the superion combined mode is, so this is a non-issue. When I see a figure that I'm interested in, I make sure there's nothing wrong with it (like cw megs' shoulders) and then see how good it looks (paint apps, number of plastic colors, etc...) and then I decide if it's something that I really need.

Plus, when we look back at the alternators line, everyone preferred Smokescreen over Silvestreak even though they were the same mold and Silverstreak was the only fully painted figure of the Hasbro line.

In the end, paint apps arent everything. They can make a good figure even better but they can't save a figure. And they arent needed inorder to appreciate a figure. They can also, as steal_your_goats said, make a figure even worse. He was talking about qc issues but it can be worse than that. Look at below and tell me which of the two you would rather own? Is it the one with more paint or less?

And last time I checked you were on board with the way I felt about UW Defensor and company, and for similar reasons, so why the sudden change of heart?

[william-james88]

And last time I checked you were on board with the way I felt about UW Defensor and company, and for similar reasons, so why the sudden change of heart?

I still am, no change of heart. I was just explaining how paint apps werent everything. If the roles were reversed and Hasbro got the UW deco and Takara got the Hasbro deco for Defensor, I would have simply gotten whichever one was cheaper when all costs were considered. The toys are fine and I wanted them so I got the one that I could a) get sooner and b) get for cheaper. I had coupons for toysrus for the hasbro ones while the talkara one was a TTMall exclusive, so the decision made itself. And as I saw how lame some of the UW Defensor deco was I totally didnt feel I was missing out on anything. Even the Groove mold, which I will now experience with Computron.

So I dont think I changed my opinion. In the end, I just wanted to say that paint apps arent everything and you agree, which is cool

[Hellscream9999]

And last time I checked you were on board with the way I felt about UW Defensor and company, and for similar reasons, so why the sudden change of heart?

I still am, no change of heart. I was just explaining how paint apps werent everything. If the roles were reversed and Hasbro got the UW deco and Takara got the Hasbro deco for Defensor, I would have simply gotten whichever one was cheaper when all costs were considered. The toys are fine and I wanted them so I got the one that I could a) get sooner and b) get for cheaper. I had coupons for toysrus for the hasbro ones while the talkara one was a TTMall exclusive, so the decision made itself. And as I saw how lame some of the UW Defensor deco was I totally didnt feel I was missing out on anything. Even the Groove mold, which I will now experience with Computron.

So I dont think I changed my opinion. In the end, I just wanted to say that paint apps arent everything and you agree, which is cool

fair enough, I'll rephrase my stance: TT's execution of the deco's on the UW line sucks all sorts of @$$, and UW Computron is going to be hideously bland.

[william-james88]

fari enough, I'll rephrase my stance: TT's execution of the deco's on the UW line sucks all sorts of @$$, and UW Computron is going to be hideously bland.

Even Bruticus, Superion and Grand Galvatron?

I thought Superion was amazing compared to hasbro's. I love how his chest takes the sculpting into account and its not just a big dap of colour seperating it midway:



And check out those gorgeous thighs!

[Railbomb]

I think show-accuracy can only go so far. If you're updating a character it's one thing to make someone like Astrotrain grey instead of white but you still have to work with the design. The MP line is where the cartoon accurate paint jobs should stay for updates to characters. I know the change on Mixmaster upset a lot of people but in my opinion the UW version just looks stupid putting paint on the back where there's no molded detail. I just hope they don't try anything stupid with the spy tablets for TR like putting a cassette sticker on them.

[Hellscream9999]

fari enough, I'll rephrase my stance: TT's execution of the deco's on the UW line sucks all sorts of @$$, and UW Computron is going to be hideously bland.

Even Bruticus, Superion and Grand Galvatron?

I thought Superion was amazing compared to hasbro's. I love how his chest takes the sculpting into account and its not just a big dap of colour seperating it midway:



And check out those gorgeous thighs!

I'll give you Superion, and Galvatronus; but I'm not too enthused by bruticus, the colors are too bright, it just doesn't feel as intimidating as the drab, dark colors of cw bruticus. I think vortex is the only one that works, and thats only because I have a soft spot for movie incinerator

[Hellscream9999]

I think show-accuracy can only go so far. If you're updating a character it's one thing to make someone like Astrotrain grey instead of white but you still have to work with the design. The MP line is where the cartoon accurate paint jobs should stay for updates to characters. I know the change on Mixmaster upset a lot of people but in my opinion the UW version just looks stupid putting paint on the back where there's no molded detail. I just hope they don't try anything stupid with the spy tablets for TR like putting a cassette sticker on them.

I hope they avoid stickers altogether, seriously, all the one's I've seen are already peeling in package, no way I'm paying $10+ for that. I honestly would've been really happy for painted circuitry, like the foc datadisks, or tampographed faction sigil's...

[william-james88]

I think show-accuracy can only go so far. If you're updating a character it's one thing to make someone like Astrotrain grey instead of white but you still have to work with the design. The MP line is where the cartoon accurate paint jobs should stay for updates to characters. I know the change on Mixmaster upset a lot of people but in my opinion the UW version just looks stupid putting paint on the back where there's no molded detail. I just hope they don't try anything stupid with the spy tablets for TR like putting a cassette sticker on them.

1. Hasbro already put casette stickers on them



2. Mixmaster had molded detail in that area.

[Agamemnon]

And check out those gorgeous thighs!

Totally going to take this out of context for a future signature....

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Sunsteaker and Dragstrip just look so plain it hurts.

Hasbro was plain too, but on different ones. Did you know that Hasbro's Wheeljack was part of a band? They are called the Plain White Ts

The hasbro versions felt broken up better. Sunstreaker looks better in hasbro version, and the purple really broke up Dragstrip nicely. Now Wheeljack I will give you. They put almost all the paint in car mode, and the robot mode suffered. That was disappointing.

[Railbomb]

I think show-accuracy can only go so far. If you're updating a character it's one thing to make someone like Astrotrain grey instead of white but you still have to work with the design. The MP line is where the cartoon accurate paint jobs should stay for updates to characters. I know the change on Mixmaster upset a lot of people but in my opinion the UW version just looks stupid putting paint on the back where there's no molded detail. I just hope they don't try anything stupid with the spy tablets for TR like putting a cassette sticker on them.

1. Hasbro already put casette stickers on them



2. Mixmaster had molded detail in that area.

Huh. Don't know how I missed that on Rewind. At least it still has the bar up at the top with the phone-like stuff. On Mixmaster I was talking about the "window" on the side, I probably should have been more specific. That just looks extremely silly to me.

[Hellscream9999]

Huh. Don't know how I missed that on Rewind. At least it still has the bar up at the top with the phone-like stuff. On Mixmaster I was talking about the "window" on the side, I probably should have been more specific. That just looks extremely silly to me.

Not half as silly as the weird, overhanging cab

[Wolfman Jake]

I get the distinct feeling that a lot of people decrying the "plain" screen-accurate paint jobs on the Unite Warriors releases are speaking from their armchairs and not from personal experience. I've had both versions of most of these figures in hand already, Hasbro and Takara, for Superion, Menasor, Defensor, and Optimus Maximus (or Optimus/Convoy Grand Prime). The exceptions so far are Devastator (only have the UW version) and Bruticus (have the CW version, so far). I can say that, despite the lack of SOME extra paint detailing found in the Hasbro releases over the Takara ones, the Takara versions look just as good in person. A lot of the sculpting detail is not "lost" when it's not highlighted with different colors. Being able to see the sculpt in person brings out the detail just fine with natural lighting creating the proper shading and depth cues to help those details "pop." Two dimensional pictures don't tell the whole story.

If I were to make a blanket statement about the different colors between the Hasbro and the Takara versions, I would note that Hasbro's tend to look a bit more like the plastic toys that they are, while Takara's paint jobs and plastic color choices, though seemingly more homogenous and not "broken up," look that bit more "high end" for a collectible piece.

[fenrir72]

I get the distinct feeling that a lot of people decrying the "plain" screen-accurate paint jobs on the Unite Warriors releases are speaking from their armchairs and not from personal experience. I've had both versions of most of these figures in hand already, Hasbro and Takara, for Superion, Menasor, Defensor, and Optimus Maximus (or Optimus/Convoy Grand Prime). The exceptions so far are Devastator (only have the UW version) and Bruticus (have the CW version, so far). I can say that, despite the lack of SOME extra paint detailing found in the Hasbro releases over the Takara ones, the Takara versions look just as good in person. A lot of the sculpting detail is not "lost" when it's not highlighted with different colors. Being able to see the sculpt in person brings out the detail just fine with natural lighting creating the proper shading and depth cues to help those details "pop." Two dimensional pictures don't tell the whole story.

If I were to make a blanket statement about the different colors between the Hasbro and the Takara versions, I would note that Hasbro's tend to look a bit more like the plastic toys that they are, while Takara's paint jobs and plastic color choices, though seemingly more homogenous and not "broken up," look that bit more "high end" for a collectible piece.

This.

It boils down to personal taste Wolf. Some people wont keep an open mind because its already is made up subliminally.

And you are echoing what I have been posting these past months.....don't prejudge based on monitor images. MP IH, MP Hr, MP BB etc

Why am I so vocal about this? I too was once like that. Close minded pre judgemental on items based on initial images. But one incident hit me. I also collect anime figures. A figure which I wanted but did not get (with regret due to "bad" images in PC monitors) was an Alter figure of Aegis. When I saw it I said Wtf? Was Alter even trying at all?

Well, I didn't get her but when I saw one on hand (a reserved and already owned figure which was sold out) I was like She was gorgeous but the image didn't translate well in PC whether it was from Amiami or Hobbysearch.

Oh. As for the loss of detail with either versions, try using the pain in the @zz to attach decals by Ocean Designs/Eness. It will make your figures look even better!. I'd have preferred the official decals by Hb (the limited issues for the combiners) but the media where they are printed makes for them to peel off easily. The onse by Ocean/Eness, though again, a pain to apply are tin to the surface when applied and 90% of the time adhere well and not peel off easily.

[no-one]

Oh. As for the loss of detail with either versions, try using the pain in the @zz to attach decals by Ocean Designs/Eness. It will make your figures look even better!. I'd have preferred the official decals by Hb (the limited issues for the combiners) but the media where they are printed makes for them to peel off easily. The onse by Ocean/Eness, though again, a pain to apply are tin to the surface when applied and 90% of the time adhere well and not peel off easily.

I'm not sure if these count , but I recently got my hands on the Hasbro Asia sticker set for Devy (non metallic). I applied them to my Hasbrostator and it made a world of difference.

You can check em here.

It was a 4 hour labor of love and I'm very happy with the results. They've only been on for a short time, but seem to be sticking alright. There are some wrap around corner stickers that have me worried though.

[william-james88]

Oh. As for the loss of detail with either versions, try using the pain in the @zz to attach decals by Ocean Designs/Eness. It will make your figures look even better!. I'd have preferred the official decals by Hb (the limited issues for the combiners) but the media where they are printed makes for them to peel off easily. The onse by Ocean/Eness, though again, a pain to apply are tin to the surface when applied and 90% of the time adhere well and not peel off easily.

I'm not sure if these count , but I recently got my hands on the Hasbro Asia sticker set for Devy (non metallic). I applied them to my Hasbrostator and it made a world of difference.

You can check em here.

It was a 4 hour labor of love and I'm very happy with the results. They've only been on for a short time, but seem to be sticking alright. There are some wrap around corner stickers that have me worried though.

Where did you get those Cary?

[no-one]

Where did you get those Cary?

The Bays of the E of course.

[william-james88]

Where did you get those Cary?

The Bays of the E of course.

Any chance it was these? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transformers-Co ... SwAuNW6UTh

They seem metalic though

[no-one]

Where did you get those Cary?

The Bays of the E of course.

Any chance it was these? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transformers-Co ... SwAuNW6UTh

They seem metalic though

It was these exactly, at least that's where my purchase history sent me.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171925860351?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

They want more for them now and have more in-stock.

I think the ones that were getting shipped with pre-orders from places like robot kingdom (if memory serves me) has that chrome mirror like finish. Mine or more like that dull silver paint that is used on figures. The stickers match the silver paint on Hasbro's Devy perfectly.