The current franchise - everyone's opinions wanted!

[thelastallosaur]

This place is very quiet these days, which is a real shame given the amout of work I know goes into keeping it running.

So lets try to get some discussion started, starting with a topic that everyone here should be able to answer: what are peoples opinions on the Transformers franchise as it currently stands, what do you like, what don't you like? Why was transformers exciting enough to get you to join this community, and what about it has changed to make you lose enthusiasm (if, indeed, you have)?

Consider this a chance to gush over the engineering of the Generations line or rant about the writing of Revenge of the Fallen, to reminisce about the G1 comics or speculate about the next cartoon, to share your earliest memorys of your first toy, or simply moan about wave distribution in the UK; but please share, what does Transformers mean to you now?

[Sunstreaker]

Good thread Talley!

I recently picked up a shed load of G1, and was surprised at just how nostalgic it made me feel. Love the whole mythos and magic behind the 80's stuff!

[thelastallosaur]

So what do you think of current TF's then 'streaker? Any interest in them or is it G1 all the way? Opinions on movie, animated or prime?

For me, I like a lot of what is being done, although I do think that the DOTM toys are a step down from the ROTF ones. I like both the "classic" blocky style and the more experimental styles that started with the movie. Not entirely convinced by prime yet, the designs feel too much like they're trying to be too much of a comprimise, but I'm sure they'll grow on me. Everything does eventually.
Currently I'm very tempted by TFC's Hercules, which would be my first unofficial transformer.

Come on people, no excuses to not respond, we all have an opinion on transformers here.

[Sunstreaker]

thelastallosaur Wrote:So what do you think of current TF's then 'streaker? Any interest in them or is it G1 all the way? Opinions on movie, animated or prime?

For me, I like a lot of what is being done, although I do think that the DOTM toys are a step down from the ROTF ones. I like both the "classic" blocky style and the more experimental styles that started with the movie. Not entirely convinced by prime yet, the designs feel too much like they're trying to be too much of a comprimise, but I'm sure they'll grow on me. Everything does eventually.
Currently I'm very tempted by TFC's Hercules, which would be my first unofficial transformer.

Come on people, no excuses to not respond, we all have an opinion on transformers here.

I got back into things with RiD, chased a few Beast Wars and Beast Machines, and went back filling gaps in my Gen1 collection, hung on through Armada, but kind of lost interest with Energon... Just felt that the aesthetic was wrong.

I bought a few of the 1st film toys, but wasn't that impressed... found them all too spindly and angular. I like my transformers 'blocky'. I won a Sentinal Prime pre-release over at FMH, and got Ghosty to chase me a few of the Rub the Sign figs (I think... I find the constant branding changes to be much of a confusing blur) but after the first 'buzz' I found that I wasn't really enjoying the newer figs. I couldn't just sit there transforming them back ad forth like I would with say Gen1 Hound, Hotrod, Galvatron... heck any of them, so I just lost interest.

I recently picked up last Years Rollcall/Rollout exclusive - the Treadshot with Kraken... which is technically an unofficial TF... but I mainly think of it as Action Force.

I've just reclaimed all of my toys from storage and hopefully in the next few months will be sorting everything out - so I'll be photographing and posting up all of my G1 stuffs... and I'll be honest, I'm really looking forward to it - like revisiting an old friend...

[thelastallosaur]

Sunstreaker Wrote:
I bought a few of the 1st film toys, but wasn't that impressed... found them all too spindly and angular. I like my transformers 'blocky'. I won a Sentinal Prime pre-release over at FMH, and got Ghosty to chase me a few of the Rub the Sign figs (I think... I find the constant branding changes to be much of a confusing blur) but after the first 'buzz' I found that I wasn't really enjoying the newer figs. I couldn't just sit there transforming them back ad forth like I would with say Gen1 Hound, Hotrod, Galvatron... heck any of them, so I just lost interest.

Did you get any of the power core combiners commanders? They make great fiddle toys, and have a bit of heft to them for the size. The combining gimmick is a bonus you can take or leave. Simple but clever transformations and they feel well made, and cost about the same as a scout (or a deluxe 3 years ago).

[Smellyferret]

To be honest I probably couldn't even tell you the name of the current toyline! :oops:

Just not my thing really, they don't seem to have any soul..

[Sunstreaker]

thelastallosaur Wrote:Did you get any of the power core combiners commanders? They make great fiddle toys, and have a bit of heft to them for the size. The combining gimmick is a bonus you can take or leave. Simple but clever transformations and they feel well made, and cost about the same as a scout (or a deluxe 3 years ago).

Nah... I remember having bought a Hotshot, and then Energon Hotshot coming out and him looking 'slightly different' and I just really couldn't be bothered.

Of course, around that time Spytroops hit... and the rest is history!

Smellyferret Wrote:To be honest I probably couldn't even tell you the name of the current toyline! :oops:

Just not my thing really, they don't seem to have any soul..

Quoted for truth!

I think 'Soul' is the right word. Simon Furman and Bud Budianski's Transformers had 'Soul'. Larry Hama's GI Joe has 'Soul'.

It's all good!

[thelastallosaur]

Sunstreaker Wrote: Nah... I remember having bought a Hotshot, and then Energon Hotshot coming out and him looking 'slightly different' and I just really couldn't be bothered.

???

I meant this lot, that are out just now, or just finishing:
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Power_Core_Combiners

[Sunstreaker]

Nah... saw some on shelves but was never tempted. I figured they were a poor mans combiner.

[KingGrimlock]

It's actually the fandom that's dampening my spirits at the moment. The constant battle of arrogance, the arguing, the nerd rage, that nothing is ever good enough, that person sucks because, etc, etc. We get people celebrating when Shia gets assualted and that bitch and moan about distribution or release schedules, badger shops to get stock in, then refuse to buy it when it's in stock until it goes on sale, moaning all the while that it's too expensive. The fights between forums, conventions, stores, YouTubers, Twitter peeps, the Club, 3rd parties, it just goes on and on. To be honest I'm so sick of it I'm close to stepping back from the mainstream online fandom and just concentrating on things where I don't have to interact directly with the internet hardmen.

What's keeping me going is doing the buying and selling on the side to make a little more money, getting the chance to 'discover' (read 'play with') a multitude of toys I'd never seen before, after which I can sell them for a bit of a profit. Recent finds of joy include most of the Beast Wars line, especially Magnaboss and Quickstrike.

As for the current stuff, I love the 3rd party companies far and above what Hasbro are putting out, which is very little of interest and I can't see much of the future lines grabbing me. Tried PCC, sold it, tried RotF and Dotm, sold most of them which just leaves the Classics line and Prime and I'm really not feeling that show.

[Sunstreaker]

KingGrimlock Wrote:It's actually the fandom that's dampening my spirits at the moment. The constant battle of arrogance, the arguing, the nerd rage, that nothing is ever good enough, that person sucks because, etc, etc. We get people celebrating when Shia gets assualted and that bitch and moan about distribution or release schedules, badger shops to get stock in, then refuse to buy it when it's in stock until it goes on sale, moaning all the while that it's too expensive. The fights between forums, conventions, stores, YouTubers, Twitter peeps, the Club, 3rd parties, it just goes on and on. To be honest I'm so sick of it I'm close to stepping back from the mainstream online fandom and just concentrating on things where I don't have to interact directly with the internet hardmen.

That's the main reason I backed away from FMH. I went through all that shizzle with Civil War, TRHPS, and the Camarilla. I really can't be dealing with it. That's why no matter where I go, I always end up back here. Good people, great mods. No ego's.

Except for Ghosty.


And he's allowed.

[thelastallosaur]

It is fairly sad that the Transformers fandom is best known for being a crowd of moany, angry gits. I only joined in around the time Animated was starting so I've no idea what it was like beforehand, but I can't imagine it was this bad before the movies.I guess that's the problem with getting a more mainstream fandom, you're also going to get some mainstream nastiness. I'm registered over at TFW, and it's a great news resource, but I never post there; like 'streaker says it's a much nicer atmosphere here, everyone can be heard so there's no competition to get news credits or be the person everybody quotes; no need to try to get noticed above everybody else.

I'm glad you're still finding joy in the hobby KG, personally I could never be that casual about selling my stuff, but I'm certainly not going to rage at someone whose collecting habits are different to mine.

Sunstreaker Wrote: That's the main reason I backed away from FMH. I went through all that shizzle with Civil War, TRHPS, and the Camarilla. I really can't be dealing with it. That's why no matter where I go, I always end up back here. Good people, great mods. No ego's.

To be honest, it only took a look at the story behind the founding of FMH for me to see I wouldn't like it there. Even with the best intentions in the world, they were always going to pick up the dregs of TFW; I wish them the best I just think that too many people there will simply be people that were pissed off at TFW - not necesarily the kind of people that will effectively start a nice community. And I'm most likely going to be buying some stuff from kapow soon enough; christmas presents etc.

A bit off topic there, don't want to start an argument over what's the best TF fansite (it's this one). Sunstreaker, I would suggest giving Power Core a try, Smoulder or Heavytread are good bets if you can find them.

[Sunstreaker]

thelastallosaur Wrote:To be honest, it only took a look at the story behind the founding of FMH for me to see I wouldn't like it there. Even with the best intentions in the world, they were always going to pick up the dregs of TFW; I wish them the best I just think that too many people there will simply be people that were pissed off at TFW - not necesarily the kind of people that will effectively start a nice community. And I'm most likely going to be buying some stuff from kapow soon enough; christmas presents etc.

I gave it a go - I was really looking forward to getting involved with and trying to co-ordinate something for the UK GI Joe community (Something I'm still very interested in and pro-active about). The guy running it, Andy, seemed really nice and KG and Ghosty were involved so I knew I had 'buddies', and I even won one of the first competitions... but I really wasn't feeling it. You get it with most hobbies unfortunately. It's caused by the sort of people who define their life by their hobby.

thelastallosaur Wrote:I only joined in around the time Animated was starting so I've no idea what it was like beforehand, but I can't imagine it was this bad before the movies.

Does that mean you totally missed Gen 1? Talley you gotsta read the Gen 1 Tech specs, read Budiansky and Furmans comics, and watch the first cartoon series.

As for the newer Transformers... I'll probably stick with spending my finances on Joes... I do love me some Joe...

[KingGrimlock]

thelastallosaur Wrote:To be honest, it only took a look at the story behind the founding of FMH for me to see I wouldn't like it there. Even with the best intentions in the world, they were always going to pick up the dregs of TFW; I wish them the best I just think that too many people there will simply be people that were pissed off at TFW - not necesarily the kind of people that will effectively start a nice community. And I'm most likely going to be buying some stuff from kapow soon enough; christmas presents etc.

See stories are just that, stories and if you believe the guff over at TFW about the situation, then your opinion is always going to be clouded. FMH was never founded to be a run off site for TFW, it was set up as a furthering of the old Moonbase 2 forums as a new home for the podcasts and to be a catch all site for UK fans. Yeah, we've got the lowlives who have managed to get banned from TFW but they've pretty much gone and got themselves banned from FMH to. Don't believe everything you read Ally.

[Phill]

To be honest the situation between TFW2005 and FMH left my opinion of the Trans-fandom as a whole very clouded.

I like it here, so what if we're not the biggest or best, we've got a decent number of good people here.

Phill