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Post by legios on Aug 25, 2018 17:58:42 GMT
Wouldn't mind looking at doing some profiles - air strike patrol possibly - if that'd be ok?
Karl
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Post by blueshift on Aug 25, 2018 17:59:24 GMT
Wouldn't mind looking at doing some profiles - air strike patrol possibly - if that'd be ok? Karl All sounds good! We'd need to make sure we've matched up artists for profiles though! |
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Post by Pinwig on Aug 25, 2018 20:34:31 GMT
I am more than happy to do design/layout for profiles pages to suit Blue's needs. I could even do one myself.
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Post by blueshift on Aug 25, 2018 21:07:00 GMT
I am more than happy to do design/layout for profiles pages to suit Blue's needs. I could even do one myself. Thanks Pinwig! Though I think that's two people wanting to do profiles, I don't think we need more than that lest it turn into Dreamwave MTMTE (oh man remember that???) |
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Post by Pinwig on Aug 25, 2018 21:24:54 GMT
Remember it?! I wallpapered my spare room with it.
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Post by The Doctor on Aug 25, 2018 21:27:08 GMT
The prize should be an exclusive badge or micromaster candle or something. Surely the prize would be something Micromaster related from the Toy-Fu stall? -Ralph |
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Post by blueshift on Aug 25, 2018 22:01:43 GMT
The prize should be an exclusive badge or micromaster candle or something. Surely the prize would be something Micromaster related from the Toy-Fu stall? -Ralph I feel the tactic should be to collect any prize at the TMUK stall (if we do that again) to lure people there |
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Post by browny87 on Aug 25, 2018 23:13:16 GMT
first page currenct contributions needs updating  |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Aug 26, 2018 5:45:43 GMT
Didn't the first six Micromaster Patrols get profiles in the 1990 UK annual? Or was that just a reprint of the text from the tech-specs?
I'd like to read Karl's expert assessment of the Air Strike Patrol's aerial capabilities. I'd even more like to see his assessment of Decepticon Air Strike Patrol vs Autobot Air Patrol - who would win?
Martin
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Post by inflatabledalek on Aug 26, 2018 16:21:54 GMT
I have an idea for a piece about how Uncle Bob used the Micromasters to vent his final frustrations as he was on his was out the door...
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Post by Philip Ayres on Aug 26, 2018 21:31:46 GMT
I think in many ways the Micromasters were frustrating for many fans as well: too many new characters at once when what they wanted was more of the older characters. And there's much less character to the individual Micromasters than the older toys. A quick look online indicates they had a shared tech specs and description and a quote was all that separated them. I don't recall much usage beyond Uncle Bob's rather silly intro stories from them, Furman's UK stories and Fixit turning up to separate Megtron & Ratchet.
It's interesting that one of the first things Furman does is do something with older TF characters which steers us in the direction of the Action Masters a Year or so later. Micromasters is another of those lines drawn in the sand that some G1 fans don't go over (less prominent now) and I wonder if they'd be perceived differently if some of them, like the Action Masters, had been older characters
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Post by The Doctor on Aug 27, 2018 6:47:42 GMT
I think they would have been very poorly received at the time if they had been older characters! This was before the nostalgia period and when the consumers were mostly children who wanted new things!
-Ralph
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Jim
Thunderjet
Micromaster Backside Monitor
Now in glorious Ultra HD 4K
Posts: 4,931
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Post by Jim on Aug 27, 2018 6:55:18 GMT
I don't know, maybe it depends on the age of the fans at the time (I would have been about 10), but one thing I *loved* about Micromasters was the explosion of new characters. And the lack of detail in the tech specs made it all the easier to come up with my own personalities and fiction for them, which has possibly made me all the more attached to them. I can even remember what I came up with for the Race Car Patrol!
Roadhandler - the recently promoted leader
Swindler - the experienced veteran, advising Roadhandler
Free Wheeler - the eager, earnest youngster
Tailspin - 2nd in command, on the leadership path, being coached by Swindler
I think by the time of Action Masters I was happy to see some new takes on classic characters mixed with some really nice new character designs (which is mostly what I'd like from Generations type lines, really. Follow the Action Master model!).
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Aug 27, 2018 7:10:16 GMT
One thing I like about the Micromasters is that after a few years of mostly futuristic or alien designs (the Throttlebots being an exception), we were back to TFs that turned into Earth vehicle disguises. Judging from the tech-specs (which show Bob was still making an effort), the Micromaster bases - Ironworks, Hothouse, Airwave and Greasepit - were supposed to be able to disguise themselves as human facilities - a construction site, a fire station, an airport and a fuel depot. Greasepit's specs hark back to the Carwash of Doom:  I think it's a shame these bases-in-disguise-amongst-us concepts never made it into the stories. Maybe that's what I'll write a story about for the mag... Other Micro tech-specs contain hidden gems of stories Bob never got round to writing. For example, sometimes the Race Track Patrol use their illegally-powered engines to win drag races to raise money to fund the Decepticons' evil schemes, the Air Patrol can collectively form a force-field around themselves when flying in 'V' formation, and look at the wonderful description given to the Decepticon Constructor Squad:  Genius. Martin |
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The Huff
Thunderjet
Hufferlover
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Post by The Huff on Aug 27, 2018 7:23:30 GMT
Of course, if the Micromaster bases are used as 'real life' garages etc. in the fiction then that would make the Micro's themselves regular sized.
This was also something that Bob/Simon was undecided on - sometimes the characters were drawn normal size - as though the toyline was just a scaled down version (like the DOTM Cyberverse toy series) to incorporate more characters and playsets that the normal sized line couldn't allow.
I still like the advert that has them so small that Optimus can hold all of them in the 'palm of his hand!'
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Aug 27, 2018 7:45:18 GMT
In 'A Small War', the UK comic's origin story, they describe themselves as being seven feet tall in robot mode, but it appears at least some of them can sometimes expand to full size in vehicle mode, as they sometimes have humans inside them in the US stories - while at the same time being able to wrestle humans in robot mode.
Martin
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Post by blueshift on Aug 27, 2018 16:26:24 GMT
I have an idea for a piece about how Uncle Bob used the Micromasters to vent his final frustrations as he was on his was out the door... I'd love to read something like that!! |
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Post by blueshift on Aug 27, 2018 16:31:31 GMT
Okay, updated the first part with everything people have offered so far, is that right? Also been trying to get Shockprowl to do something - COULD THIS BE THE YEAR?  ?? |
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Post by Pinwig on Aug 27, 2018 17:26:51 GMT
Okay, updated the first part with everything people have offered so far, is that right? Also been trying to get Shockprowl to do something - COULD THIS BE THE YEAR?????? me for design/layout on the profiles. And anything else that needs that kind of thing. |
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Jim
Thunderjet
Micromaster Backside Monitor
Now in glorious Ultra HD 4K
Posts: 4,931
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Post by Jim on Aug 27, 2018 19:53:20 GMT
Happy to do some art for profiles if needed!
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Hero
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
King of RULES!
Everything Rules
Posts: 7,505
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Post by Hero on Aug 28, 2018 0:14:51 GMT
Very cool! I remember when there was a Micromaster zine before many years ago. Microverse or Micro Zone or something. George still has a A3 photocopy of the cover on the wall of her old bedroom. I don't know what I can contribute or contribute at all, but will happily read the finished product!  I'm pleased to read that the Micromasters are next years fanzine for TN. I have many a happy memory of this line of figures and the concept integrated my interest of professional wrestling into the comic series. Big Daddy FTW! |
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Post by Pinwig on Aug 28, 2018 8:00:15 GMT
I am mulling over ideas. Spent an hour last night reading about Micromasters on TFwiki looking for inspiration.
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Post by legios on Aug 28, 2018 21:09:21 GMT
Didn't the first six Micromaster Patrols get profiles in the 1990 UK annual? Or was that just a reprint of the text from the tech-specs? I'll have to investigate that - if they have been done then there isn't a lot of point. (If they have I can always pick a different patrol that hasn't been touched. So many variables... Mission type, success conditions, terrain and weather factors... That's not so much an article, that could easily be going on a full report. Especially the way I work... :-) Karl |
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Jim
Thunderjet
Micromaster Backside Monitor
Now in glorious Ultra HD 4K
Posts: 4,931
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Post by Jim on Aug 29, 2018 7:25:21 GMT
I don't know, if you look at the wiki between things like that Dreamwave guide book and Club stuff most micromasters have some kind of fiction or bio by now - I would think it's fine for a fanzine to come up with entirely new bios inspired by the toys and their names!
A while ago I sketched some micromasters where I gender swapped half of them. Controversial for some, but I think it could be a nice direction to go in.
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chrisl
Empty
I still think its the 1990s - when I joined TMUK
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Post by chrisl on Aug 29, 2018 9:42:32 GMT
I’m doing the Japanese version of the Rescue Patrol Team who are totally different characters to their Western counterparts  |
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Dezzeh
Thunderjet
Wait, what?
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Post by Dezzeh on Aug 29, 2018 12:54:53 GMT
I can do nothing creative but I have just bought a tonne of micromasters so can supply some foolishly posed pictures
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Hero
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
King of RULES!
Everything Rules
Posts: 7,505
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Post by Hero on Aug 30, 2018 4:26:58 GMT
I’m doing the Japanese version of the Rescue Patrol Team who are totally different characters to their Western counterparts Good ol' Fixit the police car.  |
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Post by blueshift on Oct 19, 2018 9:53:46 GMT
Considering getting some 25mm badges too. Micro badges for Micromasters!
Would that be fun or would that get a fatwa declared on me from Pinwig?
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Post by blueshift on Oct 19, 2018 10:06:59 GMT
- A 5000 word article about how the Micromasters are actually '84 characters is VETOED
I have no idea why you might like to bring that up. I quite fancy writing something toy related for this, possibly about my own experience with the line, hating it in the day and loving it now..... You know, maybe we SHOULD do a point-counterpoint article about whether the Micromasters should have been '84 characters, phil... Like the Hoist one we did for Armada. |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Oct 19, 2018 10:39:33 GMT
Only if we can find someone who'll take the response seriously!
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??
