Hypothetical GoBot reboot

[Toph]

If Hasbro were to let TF rest for a couple years and bring back GoBots as an all new mainline, what sort of gimmick to set them apart from what TF has done would you enjoy?

1) Each gobot can seat a Titanmaster sized human figure

2) Each gobot has flipping battle damage panels, ala the old Hot Wheels Crack-Ups cars.
IE the canopy on Crasher's chest flips around when hit with a missile to reveal a crumpled version on the other side

(I genuinely don't think 1 and 2 are compatible given the spaces required for them in the size of the toys and pricepoint)

3) No gimmick, just more complex designs/transformations

4) Something else.

[blueshift]

All the gobots would be minicons/micromaster sized. Higher price points would be multipacks or vehicles. That's what I'd do.

[Toph]

Further questions:

Hasbro owns the characters, the story, and while no one knows for sure, it's generally believed they own the Hanna Barbera designs.
But as those designs are based on a non-takara owned competitor toyline, a straight up "classics" styled toyline directly based on those designs is most likely a no go.
As such, the toys would likely need to be reworked to be new, but still feel like those characters.

Now, head/face designs aside, what about the gobot designs do you feel is most iconic to the character? I mean, even though it was a repaint, Fracture was an amazing update for Crasher. You immediately recognize who she is as opposed to the e-hobby gobots set, that while still great, we kinda have to be told who they are to get it.

Particularly regarding the main six. Aside from the afore mentioned HB head, as well as the alt mode, what needs to be the same to recognize them?
• Leader-1
• Turbo
• Scooter
• Cy-Kill
• Crasher
• Cop-Tur

[Pinwig]

Cy-kill's hands and dome head, plus the colour scheme.

This is like designing a 3P TF.

[Toph]

Sure, but 3Ps have completely abandoned the pretext that they're not IP thieves, at this point.
(I'm not condemning it, but it is what it is)

I'm kinda working on something that'll never actually go anywhere, but I might tinker out some artwork.
Part of it is planning out a hypothetical toyline, complete with a central gimmick, new molds, repaints, and retools.
Even throwing a back-door link to Transformers "if hasbro execs insist they must be connected"

The hard part is figuring out how far one can deviate from the original design, and still get to the feel of the character.
Leader-1 for example: to me, the wings on his legs are the big feature for him. But what else? Should the intakes stay on his shoulders, is that iconic for him? Are those vents on his chest? Could the cone on his chest be swapped out with his nosecone (in a different way than starscream), while the vents on his chest be replaced with the intakes? Or does that deviate, because the allure of Gobot designs is that they're usually simpler than TFs?
I'm finding Turbo, Crasher, and Scooter all to bring up similarly complex design questions.

But some others, like Cop-Tur and Smallfoot kinda fall into place for me.

[Toph]

First draft toyline pricepoint concept-

Ally
Scout
Combat
Command
Super
??

Ally Class- same pricepoint as Titan/Prime/Battlemaster. Includes titanmaster sized human and alien allies of the gobots. They come with mini-vehicles or accessories. Also includes really small gobots.

Scout Class- an equivalent of the RotF scouts.

Combat Class- equivalent to the deluxe class

Command Class- voyager equivalent

Super Class- something between leader and oldschool universe 2 ultra

??- Being something extra, to cover something I haven't foreseen or otherwise figured out how to handle elsewhere (such as Zod, or the Command Center)

The original line wide gimmick idea was human interactivity. Titanmaster style cockpits in all gobots, vehicles, and creatures. Something that's never been done before in TF, in a meaningful way.
But then I started watching the show, and battle damage is a really big part of it. Far more than in any transformer show (outside of Beast Wars). I remembered the Hotwheel Crack-Ups, and thought that would be a really good way to do that in a kid oriented line. But there's not enough room in all but the largest to realize that, and the human cockpits.

[Benn]

You could have battle-damage stickers, like the old X-Wing toy had. Then it'd be up to the kids how dinged the toys would get, and keep the Titanmaster idea.

[Pinwig]

Are you listening to that Hasbro? Are you? Optional battle damage. Imagine that. OPTIONAL.

Toph, I'd buy your line. I'm in for that idea.