The Energon Pub

Hip ratchets which only sit at 30 degree angles. (CW Megatron, Motormaster mold, CW Magnus)

Hip/knee ratchets which are too weak to support the weight of the figure (Gens. Metroplex)

VERY VERY TIGHT joins which are used to hold joints with very thin swing arms: (e.g. Minimus Ambus' backpack, CW Magnus's neck joint) The resulting force required will cause stress and breakage over time.

Moulded pseudo ankle tilt. (Most annoying when paired with the 30 degree ratchets mentioned above. again e.g. CW Motormaster)

Not at least painting the Headlights and Tail Lights on a Vehicle mode. (so many examples it hurts)

Paint apps shown on official stock photography which aren't on the actual figure (I'm looking at you Prime RiD)

Mistransformation in Hasbro stock photography

Meta examples:
Reviewers using the word "tolerances" and blatantly not having a clue what it means

Reviewers who go months without reviewing any official Hasbro product and belittle and understate any flaws of 3rd party toys. Especially when those reviewers then spend 30 minutes for a 3rd party deluxe and will crank out official Hasbro reviews in 2 minutes flat, while still managing to lambast every single flaw in the Hasbro one. I really hate the overuse/misuse of the word 'shill' but sometimes...

People automatically dumping on 3rd party.

People automatically dumping on Hasbro.

People who complain about everything to do with a particular figure during it's development and then buy it anyway.

The overwhelming negativity during every new figure announcement.

Third party add-ons announced before a figure even gets released.

Backpacks that mess with the toy's balance, articulation and are just plain an eyesore. Human Alliance Jazz has a backpack... that is small, folded up well and is fairly unobtrusive.


Transformers Hunt For The Decepticons Jazz Gallery
Not the best, but far from the worst.

Then we have Sideswipe...


Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Sideswipe Gallery
Wow, that's pathetic engineering.

MemphisR56 wrote:Hip ratchets which only sit at 30 degree angles. (CW Megatron, Motormaster mold, CW Magnus)

Hip/knee ratchets which are too weak to support the weight of the figure (Gens. Metroplex)

VERY VERY TIGHT joins which are used to hold joints with very thin swing arms: (e.g. Minimus Ambus' backpack, CW Magnus's neck joint) The resulting force required will cause stress and breakage over time.

Moulded pseudo ankle tilt. (Most annoying when paired with the 30 degree ratchets mentioned above. again e.g. CW Motormaster)

Not at least painting the Headlights and Tail Lights on a Vehicle mode. (so many examples it hurts)

Paint apps shown on official stock photography which aren't on the actual figure (I'm looking at you Prime RiD)

Mistransformation in Hasbro stock photography

Meta examples:
Reviewers using the word "tolerances" and blatantly not having a clue what it means

Reviewers who go months without reviewing any official Hasbro product and belittle and understate any flaws of 3rd party toys. Especially when those reviewers then spend 30 minutes for a 3rd party deluxe and will crank out official Hasbro reviews in 2 minutes flat, while still managing to lambast every single flaw in the Hasbro one. I really hate the overuse/misuse of the word 'shill' but sometimes...

People automatically dumping on 3rd party.

People automatically dumping on Hasbro.

People who complain about everything to do with a particular figure during it's development and then buy it anyway.

The overwhelming negativity during every new figure announcement.

Third party add-ons announced before a figure even gets released.

This... is a really good list..

Seibertron wrote:First thing that came to my mind are fake chest cockpits on Generations Jetfire and Combiner Wars Starscream and Thundercracker, and also the upcoming Legends Slipstream. Either make it work, or don't do the fake cockpit on the chest. For some reason this bothers me even more than fake car front pieces on the chest.

I'm generally not a fan of fake parts either, but Generations Jetfire? COME ON how else are they going to make a figure that looks like an homage of his comic/cartoon robot mode yet transforms into an homage of his toy jet mode? There is no way, short of magic, to pull that off without fake parts. Cracker and Screamer, sure they could have done them without such issues, but they're repurposing a mold, not starting from scratch, that limits them a good deal in what they can do.

itscramtastic wrote:Panels that fit properly when you first got the Transformer but don't after transforming. Why?!

Sometimes (not always) when this happens to me, I find out that it's that certain things have just not been done quite right when transforming the figure and if you mess around with it a bit you can get it back to the point where things fit better.







My own pet peeve goes way back to gen 1, where nothing would annoy me more than a figure whose arms didn't move at the shoulder. I mean you have some like the throttlebricks that didn't move their arms at all, but also guys like Hot Rod who only have elbow joints, just no. Fortunately, since getting back into TF's with the first RID, this sort of thing is pretty rare, and most figures are much better articulated unless some gimmick gets in the way.

There's another peeve, gimmicks that get in the way and make a figure worse than it could have been. I understand play value and all, but sometimes the gimmicks aren't even sensical, like this Megatron

The cannon on his arm spins around like a propeller? WHA? And for that he doesn't get a right hand? Bad gimmick, makes the figure worse, adds no play value.

TK415 wrote:

Seibertron wrote:First thing that came to my mind are fake chest cockpits on Generations Jetfire and Combiner Wars Starscream and Thundercracker, and also the upcoming Legends Slipstream. Either make it work, or don't do the fake cockpit on the chest. For some reason this bothers me even more than fake car front pieces on the chest.

Ryan, excellent point, I strongly agree with you about this point for many figures. However it is not a problem for me on Jetfire. If I wanted him to be 100% Earth mode then yeah it is a problem. But if Jetfire took an earth form and then slightly modified it, especially if he left earth, then it is fine with me. Or if he is on earth then he can slide a panel over the bottom viewport when needed to hide it. If you are a scientist then it would make sense to have an extra viewport/sensor on the bottom of the plane taking in information. In real life recon and spy planes have camera's mounted on the bottom of the planes to take pictures. Also it doesn't look exactly like a jet cockpit, ones like Slipstream's can definitely be annoying and distracting. Jetfire's does look like a viewport/sensor.

I know that people may say I don't like fiction to explain design elements but I am just explaining why it works for me.

That is why I am still considering getting Jetfire, the chest doesn't but me, cuz it looks like it belongs there in vehicle mode.

VioMeTriX wrote:1 - 5 step transformers.... they are not transformers plain and simple

If the 1-step changers had actual articulation, they would be super fun.

VioMeTriX wrote:1 - 5 step transformers.... they are not transformers plain and simple

They are Transformers brand figures made by Hasbro that go from one mode to another. They are Transformers in every conceivable sense of the word. You don't have to like them, but to say you don't even consider them as transformers is just a bit obnoxious.

MemphisR56 wrote:Moulded pseudo ankle tilt. (Most annoying when paired with the 30 degree ratchets mentioned above. again e.g. CW Motormaster)

This. So much this.

Paint apps shown on official stock photography which aren't on the actual figure (I'm looking at you Prime RiD)

Eh, that's just the nature of the process. I can't hate it when I expect it.

Mistransformation in Hasbro stock photography

Meta examples:
Reviewers using the word "tolerances" and blatantly not having a clue what it means

Reviewers who go months without reviewing any official Hasbro product and belittle and understate any flaws of 3rd party toys. Especially when those reviewers then spend 30 minutes for a 3rd party deluxe and will crank out official Hasbro reviews in 2 minutes flat, while still managing to lambast every single flaw in the Hasbro one. I really hate the overuse/misuse of the word 'shill' but sometimes...

People automatically dumping on 3rd party.

People automatically dumping on Hasbro.

People who complain about everything to do with a particular figure during it's development and then buy it anyway.

Third party add-ons announced before a figure even gets released.

All of this. ALL of it.

MemphisR56 wrote: Read above to read MemphisR56's list of pet peeves.

I agree with all of this, one of my biggest pet peeves is probably what Baltmatrix does all the time, complain about lack of paint on a HASBRO figure, come on guys, expect it, if you hate the lack of paint, paint it yourself!

I also get annoyed when someone complains about white plastic on a MOSTLY WHITE FIGURE! Like Baltmatrix's review of CW Ultra Magnus, got annoying.

I also don't like when people like Optibotimus, complain about something not being EXACTLY G1 accurate. Take for example his reviews of the CW Superion and Menasaur. I don't CARE about the legs looking different from G1, turning the legs backwards is STUPID!

I also hate it when reviewers compare Hasbro figures to 3rd party figures, that are like $100.00 more than the Hasbro toy! It's just that! A toy! Not a 300 dollar collectors item!

I could go on, but I'm gonna wait till a later comment.

For reference, tolerances are the acceptable range of deviation from the specifications. TFs do tend to have some annoyingly fiddly part tolerances that can be the difference between a tight joint and a loose joint.

Figures that can't stand reliably are my pet peeve. Especially since it's something that should have been figured out in prototyping.

durroth wrote:For reference, tolerances are the acceptable range of deviation from the specifications. TFs do tend to have some annoyingly fiddly part tolerances that can be the difference between a tight joint and a loose joint.

Figures that can't stand reliably are my pet peeve. Especially since it's something that should have been figured out in prototyping.

Agreed, like Gen Windblade for example.

SillySpringer wrote:

durroth wrote:For reference, tolerances are the acceptable range of deviation from the specifications. TFs do tend to have some annoyingly fiddly part tolerances that can be the difference between a tight joint and a loose joint.

Figures that can't stand reliably are my pet peeve. Especially since it's something that should have been figured out in prototyping.

Agreed, like Gen Windblade for example.

This. Especially since a certain modder has demonstrated it's literally a matter of a few millimeters being added to the heels to shift the weight to her feet.

durroth wrote:

SillySpringer wrote:

durroth wrote:For reference, tolerances are the acceptable range of deviation from the specifications. TFs do tend to have some annoyingly fiddly part tolerances that can be the difference between a tight joint and a loose joint.

Figures that can't stand reliably are my pet peeve. Especially since it's something that should have been figured out in prototyping.

Agreed, like Gen Windblade for example.

This. Especially since a certain modder has demonstrated it's literally a matter of a few millimeters being added to the heels to shift the weight to her feet.

Yep, but improving the figure costs a little bit of money, and we ALL know that Hasbro wants to save money!

When ball joints wear down and get loose over time. It was nice knowing you, FOC Jazz.

Decepticon Sunstorm wrote:When ball joints wear down and get loose over time. It was nice knowing you, FOC Jazz.

Lol same thing happened to my Gen Armada Starscream. Really killed my enjoyment.

I HATE lazy designs. Here are two examples:

Fake kibble with an enormous backpack: I get fake kibble, it has its place if you want to achieve a sleeker look sometimes. But what I hate is when it's used simply because they couldnt bother putting the real alt mode pieces instead. Like Weaponizer Bumblebee who has 8 wheels in robot mode. At least he isnt too bad with the backpack, Voyager Sentinel Prime is way worse. Or Prime RID Cliffjumper where the robot ends up having 2 visible sets of the same alt mode part, one fake and one real.

Weak Alt Modes, half-assed "cybertronian" vehicles: I hate those cybertronian movie designs like the first 2 megatrons. They just look like Megatron doing Yoga. I am also not a big fan of Cybertron Metroplex (or any metroplex) who just looks like a robot who just dropped the soap in jail. Discovering new parts while transforming and having 2 toys in one is the beauty of the transformation process. These lazy modes take the fun away since its just rearranging limbs around.

william-james88 wrote:I HATE lazy designs. Here are two examples:

Fake kibble with an enormous backpack: I get fake kibble, it has its place if you want to achieve a sleeker look sometimes. But what I hate is when it's used simply because they couldnt bother putting the real alt mode pieces instead. Like Weaponizer Bumblebee who has 8 wheels in robot mode. At least he isnt too bad with the backpack, Voyager Sentinel Prime is way worse. Or Prime RID Cliffjumper where the robot ends up having 2 visible sets of the same alt mode part, one fake and one real.

Weak Alt Modes, half-assed "cybertronian" vehicles: I hate those cybertronian movie designs like the first 2 megatrons. They just look like Megatron doing Yoga. I am also not a big fan of Cybertron Metroplex (or any metroplex) who just looks like a robot who just dropped the soap in jail. Discovering new parts while transforming and having 2 toys in one is the beauty of the transformation process. These lazy modes take the fun away since its just rearranging limbs around.

That's why I'm not tempted to get Gen Titan Metroplex, cuz the alt modes look like a folded up robot.

My only pet peeve must be with myself. Because when a new Transformer comes out, categorically speaking, I feel a very strong dislike for it's various faults... Only to be surprised at how much I actually seem to love it, once I've got it in my grubby and opinionated paws for a little while. Kinda like how I feel about people. First, strong dislike... Then absolute love.

thedistinctroom wrote:My only pet peeve must be with myself. Because when a new Transformer comes out, categorically speaking, I feel a very strong dislike for it's various faults... Only to be surprised at how much I actually seem to love it, once I've got it in my grubby paws for a little while. Kinda like how I feel about people. First, strong dislike... Then absolute love.

Lol I'm the opposite when it comes to people. XD

SillySpringer wrote:

thedistinctroom wrote:My only pet peeve must be with myself. Because when a new Transformer comes out, categorically speaking, I feel a very strong dislike for it's various faults... Only to be surprised at how much I actually seem to love it, once I've got it in my grubby paws for a little while. Kinda like how I feel about people. First, strong dislike... Then absolute love.

Lol I'm the opposite when it comes to people. XD

SillySpringer, you are a better man than me!

thedistinctroom wrote:

SillySpringer wrote:

thedistinctroom wrote:My only pet peeve must be with myself. Because when a new Transformer comes out, categorically speaking, I feel a very strong dislike for it's various faults... Only to be surprised at how much I actually seem to love it, once I've got it in my grubby paws for a little while. Kinda like how I feel about people. First, strong dislike... Then absolute love.

Lol I'm the opposite when it comes to people. XD

SillySpringer, you are a better man than me!

*awkward silence*

I think another pet peeve of mine is when people complain about hollowness on a figure, like CW Ultra Magnus for example. It needs to be hollow people! In order to keep the price down! If you don't like the hollow back, don't display it facing the wall.

So we're talking pet peeves eh? Well, here are some that stick out more to me:
1) Fake parts. It's one thing if the engineering is very difficult, it's another to put A FRIKKIN FAKE BUMPER ON A ROOF (looking at you legions movie 1 Jazz). That is being very lazy with engineering: sacrificing the vehicle mode for the robot mode.
2) Bad ball joints. My DotM Skids is very difficult. his ball joints on his elbows do not work at all, and I have to keep him in vehicle mode since robots mode his arms literally fall off.
3) and finally, my really big one: Overly large, unstorable weapons. I like it when some guys get big guns (DotM voyager Ironhide, BH Wheeljack) but it needs to work. I hate PRiD Bulkheads weapons because they are huge and cannot store. that sucks. Now, I like transformers with weapons that fit them (AoE Crosshairs, movie 1 deluxe Bee, RotF leader Prime) and can hide away. I like them when they have decent vehicle mode storage (BH voyager Prime, DotM Topspin) and I even like certain big weapons because they can fit well in vehicle mode and dont look too bad with the actual figure (CW Breakdown overall, Alpha Bravo/Offroad in alt mode, ultimate Prime DotM). But it is the likes of Dead End that really grind my gears. Yes, the hand/foot thing is needed, but his alt mode does not carry it well and it looks stupid as a gun in robot mode. Same goes for PRiD Bulkhead. That weapon is too damn big for either mode. the First Edition version is far and away better

Complainers really get me going too. You see people bashing figures before they are ever viewed, they get bashed on first sneak peaks, they're bashed after reviews, they are bashed in hand (looking at you new CW hater). If you don't like the damn thing, you don't have to start a revolution against it. Let it happen. it already is happening. Unless you have a major point of concern that others may need to know, stop your whining. That is all. D-Mack: Out

william-james88 wrote:I HATE lazy designs. Here are two examples:

Fake kibble with an enormous backpack: I get fake kibble, it has its place if you want to achieve a sleeker look sometimes. But what I hate is when it's used simply because they couldnt bother putting the real alt mode pieces instead. Like Weaponizer Bumblebee who has 8 wheels in robot mode. At least he isnt too bad with the backpack, Voyager Sentinel Prime is way worse. Or Prime RID Cliffjumper where the robot ends up having 2 visible sets of the same alt mode part, one fake and one real.

Weak Alt Modes, half-assed "cybertronian" vehicles: I hate those cybertronian movie designs like the first 2 megatrons. They just look like Megatron doing Yoga. I am also not a big fan of Cybertron Metroplex (or any metroplex) who just looks like a robot who just dropped the soap in jail. Discovering new parts while transforming and having 2 toys in one is the beauty of the transformation process. These lazy modes take the fun away since its just rearranging limbs around.

Yogabots suck, its like they haven't put any thought in it. I'm pretty sure I have seen some people doing fan modes for Cybertron Metroplex that look better than the official Altmode.

I also don't like giant Mechtech weapons.

I don't like the lack of microns in the US.