Turtle Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 So, uh, wave 44, huh? What's this Cap boot situation? Can someone post pics as mine don't seem to be any different from any other cuffed boot. Is that conversation happening in this thread or in the Avengers boxset thread? I'm so confused. I don't have a working camera because I spend all my money on little pieces of plastic, but you can see the difference on the Database photos if you compare 44 to previous Caps, and it's more obvious from the side view. It's not a huge difference, they're just wider/squarer at the cuff and a bit shorter. Well I'll be... I wonder if it's truly a new sculpt or if it's an issue with a different plastic type setting differently. Seems strange to do a new sculpt that is so similar to the previous one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlecat Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 I don't know but it seems like a new sculpt, the difference is more noticeable to me in person. And I guess they changed the mask and the gloves a while back, so maybe the boots were just on deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webhead Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 I don't know but it seems like a new sculpt, the difference is more noticeable to me in person. And I guess they changed the mask and the gloves a while back, so maybe the boots were just on deck. Which boots do you like better? I don't have any wave 44 caps only the avengers box set for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlecat Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 I like the new ones better. I put them on leather jacket Cap and he doesn't seem as noticeably tall compared to other mates anymore, although I'm sure it's a tiny difference -- like undeadpool said a couple pages back, it's such a slight redesign I thought I might just be seeing things at first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Sorry for contributing to the non-44 talk. As far as boots go, we don't use the same tools forever. We tool new parts when the old tools lose their mojo, or when it simply isn't worth it to go dig up a tool from ten waves ago. But if the design work is done, and the part serves its purpose, then we'll reproduce it as closely as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Sorry for contributing to the non-44 talk. Eh, it happens. We'll live. As far as boots go, we don't use the same tools forever. We tool new parts when the old tools lose their mojo, or when it simply isn't worth it to go dig up a tool from ten waves ago. But if the design work is done, and the part serves its purpose, then we'll reproduce it as closely as possible. Can you explain this to me? I would think that it would be cheaper to use the old molds instead of tooling a new mold that is exactly/nearly the same. I've noticed that some molds lose their sharpness over time (all toys do that) for example. VG Ghost Buster's long hair is much smoother than Sabertooth's from wave 3. But for just being lazy you'll make a new part? That seems a bit... wasteful. However, I have always enjoyed the reuse of older parts. It lends a sense of continuity between the old and new waves, something I feel that has been severely lacking as of late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirymate Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I know there's a condition colloquially called "mold rot" where eventually you just can't get a quality piece out of a mold after an unknown number of uses. I've heard it complained about on the Transformers forums... but never paid it much heed. Transfans are experts at inventing problems and conspiracies for why Transformers suck (YMMV), so I was never 100% sure if it was a real problem or not but apparently it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 No, it really is. Check out BM Jetstorm and the mold degradation between Jetstorm (2000) and Skywarp (2005). It's interesting to have all 5 sitting in front of you at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirymate Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Well then, there's part of your answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 My question was way would they sculpt a new piece when they have one that still works that hasn't been used to death. IE: Dani Moonstar vs Valkyrie. That makes no sense. I thought the entire goal here was to save money. That's why they've gotten really really singy with tampos. Only it costs absolutely nothing to tool a mold... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Can you explain this to me? I would think that it would be cheaper to use the old molds instead of tooling a new mold that is exactly/nearly the same. I've noticed that some molds lose their sharpness over time (all toys do that) for example. VG Ghost Buster's long hair is much smoother than Sabertooth's from wave 3. But for just being lazy you'll make a new part? That seems a bit... wasteful. Less laziness and more waste of resources. Sending factory employees to locate the old mold and clean it (they need to be spotless) is a time and money issue. I'm hazy on how our molds work --some may be broken up into small, sliding pieces, so you can mix and match, but I think at least some of them are solid blocks of numerous small parts, which means you need to block off the parts you don't want/need just to cast the part you DO need. It's fairly labor-intensive. So they tool it onto the new mold -- tooling can take a long time for big stuff, but I don't think Minimate parts take very long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 So a week of organizing up putting up shelves, cleaning, cataloging and labeling everything would take care of this problem. But that's less cost effective than paying to tool a similar mold. I understand. For a bottom dollar perspective that makes sense. However, from our point of view it's annoying (Dani/Valkyrie again) and from my point of view, just knowing those things aren't organized as they should me nearly leaves me in a twitching heap on the floor. I think I need help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 However, from our point of view it's annoying (Dani/Valkyrie again) and from my point of view, just knowing those things aren't organized as they should me nearly leaves me in a twitching heap on the floor. I think I need help. Wait.. do people have a problem with Dani's hair? I don't. I prefer the more accurate hair she's getting. And I don't think Zach said anything about things not being organized. He said it's just more efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillbob316 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) As a guy who has worked on a toy line or two in my life (nothing as big as minimates mind you, which is why I've never brought this up... but small products for a few medium/big licenses) I'm an artist/designer... I do concept drawings... not unlike the ones we see a great deal of for minimates, I send them off to my boss (who lives in another state, for the record, and I've never met face to face) he looks over them with other people I never talk to for approvals, probably shows them to the licencors, e-mails me back and tells me 10 things to change, we do that three or four times, they eventually approve one as a final design, then ship it off to some factory in China that I have absolutely not contact with and they do things I know absolutely nothing about. Then they tell me to start working on the package design (I do that too, btw). I'm not saying that's how Zach's job works. Frankly it seems much more hands on than mine ever was/is, and he also seems to be at a much higher level than I ever was. Furthermore different companies do things different ways, that's just how the world works. I'm not pretending I understand the inner workings of Zach's job or Diamond. The only thing I'm trying to get at is I don't think it's very fair to berate a guy who doesn't work on the factory end for the way things are handled on the factory end. If someone were doing that to me, I'd be like, "Dude? The hell? They pay me and I do drawings, thus endeth my participation. I don't need this... what the hell do you want me to do? Learn Chinese, fly across the Ocean and yell at some factory workers for not keeping their shelves & machinery organized to your standards?" Again, I'm not saying I understand the inner-workings of Diamond or Zach's job... but I am saying if the dude tells you it's easier/more efficient to make new sculpts than it is to retrieve old ones... why not just take him at his word? It's not like the factory is right around the corner. You might note that minimates have that oh-so-familiar "Made in China" printed on them as well... When exactly do you think was the last time Zach flew to China to make sure the shelves were organized? Edited May 30, 2012 by Gillbob316 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 Zach, a decommissioned minimate mold would be the ultimate contest prize. Just putting that out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zak Katz Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 A minimate maker just like creepy crawlers :biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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