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Post by Llama God on Dec 8, 2014 20:22:14 GMT
Apart from all the Beast Hunters stuff going straight to Home Bargains. That was pretty nice.
But yeah, given that that probably wasn't part of the official plan, then I'd have to agree that yeah, it's been a pretty bad year. But then 2014 has sucked in general, so, onwards and upwards! Hopefully.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2014 22:51:06 GMT
Yeah, really hope we are getting some good quality figures. With actual involved transformations. I hope for the day to see generations in all stores not just TrU
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 9, 2014 20:56:16 GMT
At the moment I'd settle for actually seeing them in TRU.
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Post by Toph on Dec 18, 2014 21:40:26 GMT
Picked up Grimlock, Longarm, and Steeljaw.
Grimlock because Grimlock
Longarm because a chick who's NOT a rehash
And Steeljaw because he's something entirely new, which is all too rare.
Honestly, these are the cheapest, clumsiest, poorest made TFs I've ever bought. They make some of the worst Prime had to offer feel like amazing toys.
Longarm especially feels like she was designed and produced by a knockoff company for five bucks, than as a hasbro deluxe for $17.
Her paint is HORRIBLE looking, and incomplete. Her engineering is poor.
All of their decos are terrible and boring. Three basic colors each, and laid out in very monotone ways.
Plastic quality and engineeribg on all are Marvel/Star Wars crossover bad.
And their symbols are obnoxious.
I don't think I'll be buying any more.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2014 23:57:53 GMT
I got legion optimus today just to see what he's like. He's ok. Normal articulation on a legion toy. He has got a neat transformation. with nearly next to no kibble and has two extra weapon ports on the side, which fit legion weapons I took pictures but they are too big to host, sorry!  |
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dyrl
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Transforming robots are no match for combat waitresses from the future!
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Post by dyrl on Dec 23, 2014 20:24:43 GMT
Oh my Jetty - well truth be told, Steeljaw and Prime (because of AM truck mode) were the only ones to catch my eye... I have seen some nice repaints of Steeljaw - but the fact people need to paint their TFs is lame
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 28, 2014 17:20:05 GMT
Just wanted to endorse what Crazy has said here. I picked up Grimlock and Strongarm today to sample this range and I'm for the first time ever considering taking toys back. They are atrocious. Well, Grimlock is. I haven't opened Strongarm because if she is more of the same then I don't want to go through the same waste of time. I genuinely thought as the packet doesn't actually say 'Warrior' on it anywhere that I'd bought the wrong figure. I see why this is called Warrior class and not Deluxe, because the height/mass difference compared to Generations Deluxes is huge. These are also smaller than the Prime/Beast Hunters Deluxes. He is also, as Crazy says, a cheap figure made of nasty plastic and has no feeling of strength or stability. This was evidenced by the fact that the first time I moved his elbow joint (robot mode, straight out of the packet) the ratchet popped out. Closer inspection revealed a moulding error on the socket at the top of his forearm that the plastic ratchet sits in, which means that the edge of the hole is now bent and covered in stress marks and the arm joint will never work properly. It might if I glue the ratchet into the hole - but come on - I just paid £15 for this. That's why I'm thinking of returning it - there's a clear production flaw in my one because the plastic hasn't filled the mould properly. Oh, I see, there's a whole thread for this on TFW2005. It's a known issue with the right elbow. £15! Put this next to Silverbolt at £23 and the trading standards authority should be involved. Silverbolt has more than twice the mass. These RiD figures should be £7.99 and no more. Also, why bother putting 5mm peg holes in the hands when these figures come with no accessories whatsoever? Nothing! no gun, no handbag, nothing! Is this like it is with new phones and chargers these days? "We didn't include one because we assumed you'd already got enough"? These aren't what I'd hoped they'd be. The pictures made these look like a new Animated/Prime hybrid, but in terms of production they're not. If this was a 3P figure it would be slated. I do like the aesthetic. I'm looking at this Grimlock thinking, if you were an inch taller and had proper joints, better plastic and a little more articulation I could really dig you, but I just can't love this toy. What's most depressing of all is that I've got the collecting mentality so ingrained in me that I am still, despite all that, looking at these two thinking, yeah, but this is a new range! something you can collect! You could have the whole lot, wouldn't that be cool? I have *got* to get that out of my head. If I buy more of these I deserve locking up. |
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Post by Bogatan on Dec 28, 2014 18:23:17 GMT
I'll say right off the bat that I am kind of digging Grimlock. After reading the last few posts I was curious because I thought it looked quite good in the package.
So I'll try to lay out the pros as I see them.
But before I start lets be clear I am not mad, it is absolutely not worth the £14.99 Smyth are charging so I wont be buying more till theres a sale, but if I had gotten this not knowing the price I would have thought it was an excellent £8-10ish toy.
Firstly the aesthetic as Pinwig said is appealing. It doesnt obviously scream Grimlock on first look, largely due to the colours, but on closer look all the Grimlock queues are there aside from the robot head which is a very Prime style head.
Hollowness has never much bothered me, but the designers have done a great job of filling in the gaps as much as possible. Even putting a fake tail on the inside of one of the legs. In dino mode the legs unfold quite impressively to build the entire body, much like Vehicon did and the robot hands fill in the side of the dino legs in a fairly stylish sort of way.
The transformation is also very G1 and unlike Animated and FOC theres no undercarriage gaps. So bonuses.
Articulation is about whats needed. It is basic but no more so than many deluxes over the last decade.
So yeah, theres a lot I like. The plastic does feel light, but the toy seems solid. The elbow on mine is iffy, but so far seems not to be broken. It holds a pose okay for now any way.
Engineering is interesting at least for anyone who customises, as far as I can tell its built entirely with pins. I can't find a single screw on it.
Additional bonus points for having a four armed robot mode option. Grr.
Lack of any kind of accessory is disappointing and there is a frustration in a toy like this, theres a potentially great toy in this design, but the reality is a massively over priced tiny deluxe toy.
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Post by Bogatan on Dec 28, 2014 18:29:58 GMT
Conclusion, way to expensive, but any kids with parents willing to pay the price are going to get a toy they will probably love. The fact theres a cartoon supporting the line (if it gets shown on a sensible channel soon enough to actually benefit the toys) means I can see these being a hit.
At least if Grimlock is representative of the line.
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 28, 2014 19:28:18 GMT
I do accept your point about the way the Dino legs fold forward to make the robot chest; that's very neat and when I realised that's what it was doing I was impressed with how it worked. It's a very frustrating figure. The transformation and the look are fine, it's just the size and the quality that are a massive let down. And the QC on that elbow.
I've also noticed that he is head for head the same height as the AoE Deluxe Dinos. So I guess in terms of modern trends they aren't *that* small. Bah. Maybe I'll open Strongarm after all for a second opinion on these ones. See? I told myself I'd cave. I'll buy the other two, just you wait.
No I won't. I *won't*
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Post by Bogatan on Dec 28, 2014 20:15:59 GMT
Ugh. Opened Steeljaw and I'm much less impressed. The creativity is still there, but robot mode is a floppy mess. Even with a tail adding support it doesn't want to stand on shiny surfaces. In fairness on carpet I can get some decent poses out of it thanks to the double leg joint.
The real problem is with the arms, bloody weird arms. The elbow joint is just odd. I have to pull the lower arm as I turn it or it jams. Theres going to be lots of broken armed Steeljaws hitting carboot sales this year.
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Post by Bogatan on Dec 28, 2014 20:16:15 GMT
Plus side, it comes with a weapon.
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Post by Bogatan on Dec 28, 2014 20:21:02 GMT
I do accept your point about the way the Dino legs fold forward to make the robot chest; that's very neat and when I realised that's what it was doing I was impressed with how it worked. It's a very frustrating figure. The transformation and the look are fine, it's just the size and the quality that are a massive let down. And the QC on that elbow. I think if this basic concept had been used for Animated Grimlock 6 years ago, with the build quality back then, we'd have gotten one of the truly great toys. Instead theres a poorly designed Animated Grimlock and a poorly constructed RID Grimlock. Some times you can't win. |
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Post by Toph on Dec 28, 2014 21:16:36 GMT
Of the three I got, Grimlock is by far the superior.
He's largely a solid figure that does what FoC Grimlock does and manages to make that figure look even worse.
Though instead of Grimlock, he makes me think of Animated Optimus Prime given a beast mode.
Mine doesn't have the elbow flaw, though.
But yeah, I agree on him. He's not worth his price, but I'd mildly recommend him at a cheaper price.
Though the difference between these and Combiner Wars, the general complete financial disaster Aligned has been, the decision to kill the new show by putting it on Cartoon Network, plus the TERRIBLE NAME and horrible plot... All make me really wish they had ended aligned, and put this budget into CW, and made THAT the full on mainline, instead.
The sizable amount of garbage "kiddie" toys doesn't help, either, surely eating up a lot money that could have been spent on these, instead.
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primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
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Post by primenova on Dec 29, 2014 10:07:33 GMT
Asda have the flip RID in Bee,SS,LA & monster one I can't remember name of.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 29, 2014 10:26:35 GMT
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primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
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Post by primenova on Dec 29, 2014 12:42:29 GMT
I have been calling them the flip ones because don't you just press something & they flip, or is that the next size up? Hasbro need to go back to the letting us Transform the toys & not making the whole line just knock the toy & it does it for you so we don't have to print instructions.
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 29, 2014 13:11:24 GMT
They haven't really learned their lesson from AoE with this. At least with those it did say 'Generations Deluxe Class' on the side of the box. These RiD Warrior class ones don't say anything on them at all, dunno if the others do. Which would be ridiculously confusing if they were on the shelves in the numbers the AoE toys were.
It doesn't even follow that the bigger ones are more complex with this line, as those bigguns at £23 quid (no idea what they are) aren't as complex as the Warriors. There must be a reason behind them doing that as surely they knew the confusion this caused with AoE.
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Dec 29, 2014 15:44:40 GMT
Spotted in the Glasgow Entertainer yesterday as well along with what I thinl were Legion RiD toys as well. |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 29, 2014 15:51:00 GMT
I have been calling them the flip ones because don't you just press something & they flip, or is that the next size up? FlipNChange is a large size, nearer £20. These are the One Step Changers that ASDA lbelled Magic Transformers in the early days of AOE |
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primenova
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Post by primenova on Jan 10, 2015 7:03:04 GMT
Those RID legends toys look 1000 times better than the other ones, but Smyths had no prices on them
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 20, 2015 14:07:56 GMT
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 20, 2015 23:41:04 GMT
AHAHAHAHA!
Disgracefully cheap looking crap.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 21, 2015 21:04:29 GMT
The RID line a whole does not look like a winner. It appears to be the summation of the era of Cheap Shit Transformers.
-Ralph
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Stomski
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
YOU INTERRUPTED MY SPEECH!! But don't worry. It won't happen again.
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Post by Stomski on Jan 22, 2015 9:45:18 GMT
If we didn't have Generations to balance it out I'd be concerned, but as it is Hasbro is catering to a different demographic and, what I'm led to believe is known as a, play pattern. |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 22, 2015 18:45:29 GMT
I know what a play pattern is. I just like good play patterns which flow naturally from well made good toys. Hence why RID gets the thumbs down and CW gets the thumbs up. The former looks like shit farted out by a deranged octopus with as much play value as a Mars Bar at a cross-stitch convention manned by blind nuns and the latter look like toys kids would enjoy playing with.
-Ralph
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Post by Llama God on Jan 22, 2015 21:45:39 GMT
I want to see that Mars bar.
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Post by Pinwig on Jan 22, 2015 21:49:37 GMT
RiD Warriors are what they are. The toy for discerning ten year olds who haven't outgrown the cartoon but want something that will allow them to look down on their younger brother's three step changers.
Hasbro could knock out RiD toys of the newer Generations quality with a negligible price difference, but it's clear from the way they started simplifying toys with the end of beast hunters and then AoE that they don't want to do that, which is why these are called warrior and not deluxe.
They feel to me like the upscaled legions we got at the end of beast hunters. You can see where these came from, Hasbro experimented with making bigger toys simpler and clearly liked the results. I don't think these are the way they are because of economic factors, these are what Hasbro want to make.
I think they're probably entitled to say to older collectors like us, we can't give you the toys you want in every range, you've got Generations and Masterpiece, these are for the kids who aren't as entrenched as you but want more than one steps. This is just another evolution of the range like the super simple toys were last year.
I think it means the days of Hasbro producing collector aimed toys for the current cartoon they're promoting are over. They've divided their target audience down into smaller subsets. Collectors have IDW and Generations.
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Post by Toph on Jan 22, 2015 22:04:18 GMT
There is no negligable price difference. The "RiD" Warrior class, with no comic, barely an accessory, no instruction pamphlet, no bio, and is significantly poorer quality all around... is the exact same price as the Generations deluxe class that has ALL that.
May be more expensive. My TRU wants $17 usd for them.
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Post by Pinwig on Jan 22, 2015 22:50:44 GMT
Okay. Interesting. Here the Warriors are £15 and the combiner limbs £17. The point I was making was more about target audiences though; I totally agree that the warriors are overpriced. I said in my post about Grimlock on the recent acquisitions thread that the Warriors should be £7.99 tops. I'd consider that reasonable. The finish is crap but the engineering is interesting. In general they're a massive let down compared to what I was hoping they'd be, but as said, they're not aimed at me. Mind you that said despite their superior nature I don't think the Combiner limbs are quite worth £17. When you put Firefly next to RiD Grimlock they're not *that* far apart.
Hasbro seem to feel they got a clear message that the toys were too complicated around RotF/DotM time and this is the response - divide the product into more precisely aimed lines, so now from Rescue Bots up to Masterpiece there are more levels in between.
You can see it in other ways too, the new ranges don't carry the complexity rating any more (which was never really very accurate, it seemed to translate as being the bigger the toy the higher the number, regardless of the complexity of transformation) they now just state how many steps the transformation takes.
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