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Post by Toph on Aug 4, 2018 19:51:48 GMT
The closest we've gotten to the kind of complete reinvention that Beast Wars was, was Animated.
And even TFA wasn't that hard of a departure, still largely relying on known names and iconic imagery.
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Post by Llama God on Aug 5, 2018 7:45:06 GMT
This is why I really want them to do something Beast Wars-esque now... but not actually being Beast Wars! Because completely detaching from the old is what made that great. (Although I still want a Cheetor-lead follow-up to Beast Machines, but there you go.) They need room to innovate, not be trapped in the same set of characters. But alas, it is only the familiar that sells - or so the wisdom goes.
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Post by The Doctor on Aug 5, 2018 9:25:12 GMT
The constant recycling of characters in the various lines is becoming increasingly tiresome and more so because we have a nostalgia line for that sort of thing (Generations). That is where I go to for my nostalgia fix. I don't need that in the main lines. RID 2015 did have plenty of new characters though the line was knackered out of the gate by a price increase (Warriors more expensive than Generations deluxes in some markets), a poor first wave and being cluttered up with low quality 1 and 3-step changer crap. A shame as later Warrior waves were pretty decent.
Alas, Cyberverse looks like it's all the same old characters and the toys look, quite frankly, like Poundstretcher level crap.
There is plenty to enjoy in the various new TF lines (I just ignore/don't buy what I'm not into) though I feel that overall it could use a good kick up the bum innovation wise. After all, we want kids to be interested in them!
At some point the sub-line for fans (Generations) became the main line over what that used to be (whatever the current TV show or film was) and I am not sure that is healthy for the brand overall.
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Aug 5, 2018 10:30:26 GMT
Silly Doctor, Transformers aren't for kids!
Seriously though, even an inflexible G1ist like me is getting concerned over the repetitivness of the franchise.
Is it time a MAJOR overhaul again? Beast Wars style? Could that ever happen now? No Optimus, no Megatron, no Bumblebee...?
A TOTAL REBOOT.
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Post by Toph on Aug 5, 2018 12:29:09 GMT
I think that's one of the major issues. The mainline needs to stop being treated like a G1 themed afterthought, while the subline needs to stop being treated like the mainline.
Generations does not need a new linewide gimmick every year and a half. Being better sculpted, better articulated updates of classic characters from every branch of the TFU is it's gimmick.
You want to do the autobot headmasters? Then do the autobot headmasters. That doesn't mean that every single toy for a year and a half now absolutely must be a headmaster to justify these four characters. That's the kind of thing you do for the mainline, which gets the supporting fiction behind it.
The main lines are far too concerned with underestimating children by "keeping it simple" than they are with producing fun toys. And the number of "steps" it takes to get from one mode to the next does not make one toy more or less complex than another. Ninety percent of Combiner Wars are some of the easiest gotdanged TFs ever designed. But they're the "adult toys," and are "too hard for children" because they have more steps than the typical nurid figure.
"Why don't kids like the mainline anymore???" Because you're sucking all the fun out of it, and putting that into the subline.
One-steps, three-steps, all the other rubbish uninteresting things. G1 transformers weren't exactly the most complex version of transformers, but I was transforming them pretty easily when I was 5 years old. Kids today are smarter than we were at their age. They're excelling at videogames, and navigating tablets and smartphones that we could never have dreamt of. I think they can handle a G1 level of complexity.
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chrisl
Empty
I still think its the 1990s - when I joined TMUK
Posts: 1,097
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Post by chrisl on Aug 6, 2018 15:54:02 GMT
I remember watching the pilot episode at a TMUK meeting in Bristol & really enjoyed BW until they introduced Transmetals, and then had a real dislike of the Shokarat (sp) nonsense that came out of BotCon. Really enjoyed the Japanese BW II & Neo though.
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Post by The Doctor on Aug 6, 2018 21:40:48 GMT
Ah, Shockaract. A whole generation has thankfully missed out on that Botcon story related nonsense!
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 5, 2018 9:56:11 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 17, 2018 21:26:55 GMT
That is fascinating. I don't think I've seen better pictures of that mould!
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 17, 2018 22:01:57 GMT
OH I WANT THAT!!! UHH!!! UHHHH!!!!!
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Nov 25, 2018 14:37:32 GMT
It has a certain charm, but the Armada Unicorn looks better.
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 25, 2018 16:08:01 GMT
Except in planet mode. Armada Unicron doesn't look planety enough for me. I like my planets round! But yeah, the big shieldy round bits in robot mode kinda spoil the look.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 30, 2019 6:54:37 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 30, 2019 7:14:08 GMT
It pees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Ralph
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Post by Llama God on Apr 30, 2019 8:57:43 GMT
I didn't realise it was a smaller version.
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 30, 2019 9:17:31 GMT
Isnt it just the bath toy version that came with bath salts?
Toyfu have had a bunch of them.
Some how I still dont have one.
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 30, 2019 9:18:32 GMT
Also, that BW Unicron really looks like the basis of the Darth Vader Death Star toy to me.
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 7, 2019 10:53:40 GMT
Mr Llama God has just confided in me something most disturbing on Twitter. I invite him absolve himself of this here |
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Post by The Doctor on May 7, 2019 11:28:41 GMT
What has he done?
-Ralph
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Post by KnightBeat on May 7, 2019 18:17:42 GMT
I invite him absolve himself of this here In other words, you summon him for a purpose. |
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Post by Toph on May 7, 2019 21:11:24 GMT
THOU SHALT NOT BLASPHIM THE WAR OF BEASTS
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Post by Shockprowl on May 7, 2019 21:14:56 GMT
My Godfathers, what did he do...?
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Post by Benn on May 7, 2019 21:41:10 GMT
I don't know, but he's been very quiet today.
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Post by The Doctor on May 8, 2019 7:07:59 GMT
What did he do??
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 8, 2019 7:17:32 GMT
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Post by Toph on May 8, 2019 8:22:58 GMT
No blaspheme has occurred.
Only tragedy.
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 8, 2019 9:13:49 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on May 8, 2019 10:28:22 GMT
I'm not sure Llama is guilty of any crime. The way Phil was going on I thought he had said something bad about Beast Wars!
THIS IS A SHAM TRIAL.
-The Ralphyard
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 8, 2019 10:54:11 GMT
It is in no way a trial and never was..... except in the deranged Mind of Burns, where everything is a trial and is guilty bar Burns himself.
Having said that Tigerhawk is so so good, so not owning one should be an offence!
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Post by The Doctor on May 8, 2019 10:57:40 GMT
I have never owned a Tigerhawk.
-Ralph
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