Twincast / Podcast Episode #299 "Gigalonian Nights"

Before I even get into the Podcast, Prime and ROTF had the best alt modes for Soundwave. A Satellite is probably a better alt for Soundwave, but the Predator Drone is easier to work with in story, and with Unite(?) And GDO reimagining Rumble Frenzy and Laserbeak as Combat drone vehicles its a better synergy than a Satellite would provide. Rebuild Soundwave as Soundblaster and make him a full size aircraft like an F117 a la Galaxy Force

Blaster is a harder call. As a generic Comm7nications bot, I guess go with a Media van kinda like Energon Tow-Line was.

Another great episode team!

I saw the Visionaries question when it was posted and felt like saying "Dude...you won't like the answer!"

I laughed when Mr Starscream said "I have nothing against [Legacy Cybertron Metroplex]", spent the next 10 (15?) minutes explaining why it's a terrible idea not worthy of Hasbro's time and money and just a bad thing, and then reiterated he had nothing against it

So normally I do this as a single long post but Seibertron has been dropping my drafts mid post on my phone so I will be either editing or posting in short sections

Scotty: this has off and on been an issue for a whe but this show is particularly bad for it. Your audio is coming in almost 11 points softer than everyone. I can hear Megatronus fine at 17 on my car stereo and MrStRscream is LOUD but I have to crank it to 28 so I can understand you comfortably and then turn it back down really fast when someone e else starts talking so I don't go deaf. If you guys can readjust your channels or keep an eye on it for future shows ir maybe its somethi g to do with channels when you sre uploading?. I know having Podcasted with you your volume during recording is fine.

Anyway: Metroplex. Like Megatronus I think this looks like a fun to plY with toy. And I think that's the flaw in Hasbro's play testing, because the kids chose a figure with no consideration for cost. This may well have been the most fun Titan of the choices but 9/10 times children are not thinking about money or budgets yet and even if you ask them "Would you pick this over a video game?" The fact that this is in their hands will sway their choice. Possession has a psychological impact on us.

But like Mr Starscream, I have no connection to this and since I don't have display room for the Titans I have I have to pass at MSRP. I hope it hits a Hella sale so that I can better justify spending $80 and then shoving it in Storage until I get a bigger place than my 315 square ft apartment. Where is Victory Saber? #impatientlywaiting


I want to see Drillbit as a weaponizer now. And I don't even like the Weaponizers. But do you make a Leader 1 Retool? And then do a Selects Caliburst?

I was going to say what about Hot shot and Galaxy Optimus but you are right those have been off the market for a while.

Wish you guys spent more time on the bogart. It's been said, but I love how Metroplex looks like he is just casually carving away at the rock like it's his day job and then "whoops! Awesome gee I didn't see that Predacon there" and how that is basically Inferno as an exploded parts diagram.

I think I actually vaguely remember seeing those Infernos in Kmarts in the early 2000s. ThT faintly rings a bell.

Blackout: I want it, but I am going to wait and see how bad the transformation is. I regret not getting the SS version. I really want to see him indoctrinated into the Mythos like Barricade was because the two of them are about the strongest redeeming qualities of the movie

I think I want m9re Kingdom Cyclonuseseses for the Armada. How many is enough for them in your opinion.

The third use of this mold that I want is the Dirge colored version. I forgot about Ferak

I think Scourge wouldn't change much, there are still plenty of NASA prototypes are more wedge or space boat than B2.

I actually do like that deco on Scorponok. I think I actually might grab it and swap out the Kingdom so he scales on the shelf. That doesn't make up for it being a suck aft toy, but for the display it works better. I have an og BW Scorpy mostly complete but I am tempted to pick up this one. It will be my first of the Walmart reissues if I do.

I will take that deco on as many different Waspinators as I can get, but yeah I would love to see it on the Transmetal toy. Somewhere I actually saw a "Skywasp" character card. Not sure if it is legit or fanmade.

Bulkhead I still think was a victim of mismarketing. But yes, the Fandom did misplace our expectations and I will admit to that as well.

JRX RailbRacer is the perfect answer, but I do think there is room for a Landfill revisit. I could never get Wedge to lock into Grimlock as the shoulders and that is by far the best combo. And the engineering to make a new Landfill work could also be applied to... Road Caeser? Is that the right Autobot 3 bot team?

The one way I can see Earthrise Prime redux working is as a Commander. The Robot is spot on; He needs the budget for the trailer that Commander Rodimus Prime and now Motormaster are getting. Both of those trailers are straight up fun looking. Otherwise I agree it's time to move on and release a Fire Convoy style Optimus Prime... I mean something new and different...

A local Facebook group a guy actually said though that he wants to see the actual G1 molds re-released with just new joints. Literal "G1-with-knees"

I love how we all said Blaster as a Van (my post and your casting) but we all chose different uses of a Van.

Soundwave is an easy lay up call bur I am glad I was not al9ne on the Cybertron thinking.

I forgot to say: I need MPM-13 in my life. Blackout's opening scene in TF07 brought me back into the fandom and the toy looks magnificent. I actually gasped when he was turned over to reveal the heli belly panels. HELI BELLY PANELS!!

Flashwave wrote:Scotty: this has off and on been an issue for a whe but this show is particularly bad for it. Your audio is coming in almost 11 points softer than everyone. I can hear Megatronus fine at 17 on my car stereo and MrStRscream is LOUD but I have to crank it to 28 so I can understand you comfortably and then turn it back down really fast when someone e else starts talking so I don't go deaf. If you guys can readjust your channels or keep an eye on it for future shows ir maybe its somethi g to do with channels when you sre uploading?. I know having Podcasted with you your volume during recording is fine.

I think I want m9re Kingdom Cyclonuseseses for the Armada. How many is enough for them in your opinion.

You're not at all wrong on the audio issue, it is indeed an issue and sadly, what's published for this one was after amplifying me as far as I could without making Megatronus and Mr Starscream deafeningly loud. Not being professionals we don't bother recording separate tracks, so there's only so far I can fix it without taking a month to edit an episode.

Basically, I went from accidentally having it pick up my webcam's audio on 298 to it using the correct input on this one and being waaaaay too quiet. I'm blaming Windows 11, didn't realize it had the input level set to 83 which, once processed through the stream and back out, has a dramatic effect on the final waveform. You'd think after nine years of doing this I'd have basic audio things like this down, but new computers do funky stuff - but it's still ultimately my fault and I'm sorry.

As for Cyclonus' armada, one additional dude is fine. Two if you're feeling really extra about it. More than that seems a bit silly, but that's just me.