Anyone else wary of asking for 'new sculpt' core characters?

[Devo]

Though I love Hasbros work on background aliens and droids and appreciate that they make such obscure characters in the first place their '07 line really dented my confidence in their ability to do good Original trilogy core character sculpts. I've reached the point where although I want them to 'try again' I'm also afraid to see what they come up with, that they won't have learnt from previous mistakes and will just put out more sub-par figures that we'll be stuck with for years because that figure will be 'done' as far as they're concerned.

Heres the offenders of the TAC lineup:

Bespin Han - horrific frankenstein figure, IMO nothing is salvageable
Jabbas Palace Luke - shoulda been DSII but if this is the quality thank god it wasn't
Smuggler Lando - downgraded headsculpt that looks more like Satan, awkward puffy body, swivel elbows, wrong type of sleeve
Vaporator Luke - giant head syndrome (one extreme or the other, wheres the happy medium?)
Ewok net R2-D2 - yet another shiny chrome dome and the less preferred body sculpt
Yavin Luke - most examples didn't have eyebrows, skin was unusually white, some say he has gorilla arms and his joints are awkward (I agree only on the headsculpt, I think the rest is fine)
Stormtrooper - burdened by an unnecessary removeable helmet that can be warped out of shape and will inevitably turn yellow very quickly
VTAC endor Leia - giraffe neck, another dollface
VTAC Bespin Luke - taller than other lukes, no likeness to speak of, awkward pointy shoulder and elbow joints (although I don't think this one is too bad)
VTAC Hoth han - some hated that he didn't have the hood, some thought he looks fat (I actually liked him)

For me Hoth han was the closest to being completely satisfactory, followed by Bespin Luke and yavin Luke but after that theres a plunge with the figures having what are, for me, glaring flaws as bad as anything from POTF2.

There are a number of trends on which Hasbro seem to be staying the course that make me feel discouraged about what we might get when they eventually make Death Star II Luke for example.

- overuse of Soft goods

a frighteningly ridiculous recent example has to be that Order 66 Anakin - http://www.rebelscum.com/photo.asp?i...rder662AS1.jpg

or perhaps the repaint Emperor from the same series - http://www.rebelscum.com/photo.asp?i...rder664EP1.jpg

Who can honestly say this looks good? Soft goods should be used with far greater consideration and restraint than Hasbro is evidently giving it right now. At the very least the Emperor requires sculpted outer robes and hood, maybe softgoods underneath. The Evolutions figure proves this. Jedi figures should use softgoods only on the lower parts of their tunics like the first figures to do so from the Episode I line. I long for Hasbro to give us a newly sculpted neutral-pose Darth Vader cape - an update of the POTF2 removeable helmet Vader's cape - as soft goods simply do not hang naturally.

- poorly disguised joints

Hasbro messed up last year in an area where previously they have been successful. For some reason ball-jointed shoulders, elbows and knees became too noticeable this year and on one figure from the previous year that springs to mind VTSC X-wing Luke. Some figures in '07 such as Bespin Luke, Death Star trooper and Jabbas palace luke had terrible, unnatural looking joints.

- the insistence on balljoint necks

This kind of jointing looks terrible on human figures but it seems I can't convince most people of this. Nevertheless I must point out that it does lead to atrocities like Giraffe neck VTAC endor Leia, Bobble-head Jabbas palace Luke or figures whose hair juts out unnaturally like X-wing Luke. Other figures get left without lower jaws. Its an added complication in the making of a figure and when it goes wrong it really goes wrong.

- Hasbros persistant reuse of VOTC Han and R2-D2

that Han figure was, and is, far too thin. They cheated us by reusing his legs in the next line of expensive Vintage figures for the, consequently poor, VTSC endor Han and they created a true abomination in 07 with the Torture Rack Han - a figure so proportionally mismatched as to beggar belief that it ever saw release approval. Hasbro needs to get over this idea that because people liked that figure on first release that they can just keep rehashing his parts for every Han figure they do. Its not working. Likewise I and many others continue to be puzzled and irritated by Hasbros refusal to put out a definitive R2-D2, which could easily be done. People weren't overly fond of VOTC R2 and yet its the only sculpt of the main droid of the entire saga they seem to put out in the basic line. A more accurate body sculpt exists and more accurate paintjobs of his dome have previously been done. So why have Hasbro taken it on themselves to return to POTF2 by painting his head in inaccurate chrome whilst persistently issuing a less preferred body?

- disimproving likenesses

Luke peaked in 2004 with the (superior) Saga Jabbas palace figure. Granted his ROTJ luke was quite specific, getting an accurate ANH and ESB likeness is a different story altogether. A standout character whose likenesses have regressed is Lando Calrissian. POTF2 did a basic but not bad likeness of Billy Dee, POTJ did a pretty much flawless one. The Skiff Lando was also good. However VOTC and Smuggler Lando had terrible likenesses. Proof indeed that newer isn't always better - which is why I fear to ask for 'new sculpts'. Likewise Princess Leia hasn't had it good since POTJ's Bespin escape and 25th anniversary figures. Those figures were the closest to Carrie fisher Hasbro ever achieved in this scale. But since VOTC Leia looks like a childs doll.

Probably the best served Original Trilogy main character is Chewbacca. VOTC was a truly great figure and Hasbro have given us headsculpt variants to reflect the various 'hairstyles' or moods of Chewbacca. I only hope these variants get release in the basic line.

- inconsistent scale

We're getting Han figures that are almost as thin as Leia, Luke figures from ROTJ that are shorter than Luke figures from ANH, and figures whose heads are either too big or too small. It seems Hasbro have settled on VOTC as the standard size for Boba Fett's helmet. Unfortunately they have it wrong. The '300th' Boba Fett figure had a helmet that was both the correct size and shape and it hasn't been used since. Why?


So is anyone else going to be excited yet fearful of what we might see when the likes of DSII jedi Luke are finally unveiled?

[Jargo]

in an ideal world there would be fewer figures released per year and each woud have the utmost care and attention lavished upon them to ensure every detail is as perfect as can be. unfortunately hasbo's production and release policies mean that doesn't happen and the factories can make changes at the last minute that are beyond hasbro's control. one of the inherent problems with outsourcing production to foreign countries for cheap labour's sake.
there are things on every single figure hat can be pointed at as a bit iffy. I feel the ball jointing of heads is too much. I was ok with foward back head hinging and swivel turning at the collar. it wasn't a perfect solution but it didn't maul facial likenesses the way ball jointing has. the ball jointed shoulders seem to have got larger and larger and protrude further from the torso with each successive wave. it's harder with sleeveless or skinny characters but with clothed characters it shouldn't be so difficult to integrate the ball jointing. diagonal swivel elbow joints are usually pretty cruddy, in some ways just as limiting in the poses you can achieve as non jointed elbows. if it meant dropping a figure from a wave in order to cost out better articultion on the rest of the wave I'd be ok with that.
my opinion is mostly academic though as i don't buy a lot of figures these days. Just Tatooine themed ones. or any I can customise into unproduced Tatooine characters. I still collect pictures of everything and compare stuff though. scrutinise the details.
i don't suppose it matters one way or another to carded collectors. the figures could all be zero articulation for them. what does it matter when the figure never leaves the blister? I think kids opinions are underestimated too. I'll wager they'd prefer better articulation too. and better facial likenesses and fewer weird proportioned heads because of neck ball jointing.

[JediTricks]

Devo, you are right on so many of those. I am a secret optimist, I hope they'll do better next time since with many non-main character entries, they do. But the TAC line I actually sent Hasbro this in Q&A...

SSG, Oct 26th, 2007:

Q: While the TAC line has been doing great designs with aliens and armored figures, a lot of fans feel there have been a number of misfires with main characters in this line. Luke Yavin and Luke Tatooine's headsculpts and decos, Mace Windu's head, Vintage Leia Endor's long neck and inaccurate face deco, Lando in smuggler outfit's new head design and its rolled-back-in-his-head eyes, Vintage Luke Bespin's likeness, and everything about Han Torture Rack from the odd head to the mismatched proportions of the body. And it's not like we always need resculpted heads, POTJ Bespin Leia and Early Bird Kit Luke already have superior likenesses. So what is happening here? A: Thanks for the comments. In general, there has always been variety to the likenesses 3-3/4" figure line and while we would like every likeness to be exact, at our scale this is not something that we can expect. We're sorry you have been disappointed; while some of your comments are areas we hope to improve upon, for others, it's the first we have heard about overall dissatisfaction with these figures.

Honestly, I think the soft goods on this year's Anakin and Obi-Wan figures was astounding work, but in general we get rather uninspiring entries like what you linked. Somewhere in the middle lies the ROTS Emperor's Guard and last year's Jango poncho.

As for the joints problem, they have gotten sloppy with gappy and fat or round joints, it's like they're trying to hide the joints in costume bulges but both end up failing.

With the ball-jointed heads, I don't mind it as much as you. Some figures do suffer bad design, but for example, that Jabba's Palace Luke we got last year, there's nothing really wrong with that head IMO except for the likeness, but that's due to the Saga figure's sculpt from 3 years prior being a lesser sculpt - and the TAC version's head is the same height and neck the same size as its Saga cousin. The hair on the VOTC Luke head (recycled for X-wing Luke) was a bad style choice, the joint itself wasn't the cause. I like the expressive poses I can get out of figures with this joint (usually, some are too restricted) and I stand by my support of it.

Look at ROTS Pilot Obi-Wan, that's a decent head likeness, and the newest version we just got this year is even better.

- Hasbros persistant reuse of VOTC Han and R2-D2

that Han figure was, and is, far too thin. They cheated us by reusing his legs in the next line of expensive Vintage figures for the, consequently poor, VTSC endor Han and they created a true abomination in 07 with the Torture Rack Han - a figure so proportionally mismatched as to beggar belief that it ever saw release approval. Hasbro needs to get over this idea that because people liked that figure on first release that they can just keep rehashing his parts for every Han figure they do. Its not working. Likewise I and many others continue to be puzzled and irritated by Hasbros refusal to put out a definitive R2-D2, which could easily be done. People weren't overly fond of VOTC R2 and yet its the only sculpt of the main droid of the entire saga they seem to put out in the basic line. A more accurate body sculpt exists and more accurate paintjobs of his dome have previously been done. So why have Hasbro taken it on themselves to return to POTF2 by painting his head in inaccurate chrome whilst persistently issuing a less preferred body?

While I totally agree with you on the Han issue, with the VOTC R2 I'm not there. I am bothered by reuses of that figure with the chrome dome (which is not entirely inaccurate for the OT) and that awkwardly-glued main body panel, but this is the most accurate sculpt of R2 so far, the R4-G9 body while very good and entertaining, is slightly less accurate in both dome and body sculpt areas. The best VOTC body to judge R2 on is the TSC Hoth repaint, the grime on that makes the sculpt really come alive.

That said, R2-D2 is not "done" yet, they have yet to address some of his crucial gimmicks, and overall there's still the inaccurate "hips".

Luke peaked in 2004 with the (superior) Saga Jabbas palace figure. Granted his ROTJ luke was quite specific

It's the same sculpted likeness, the TAC version is a modification of the one you mentioned. Sometimes it's more about paint - eyes, eyebrows, and hair - than about sculpt, Leia and Lando are good examples of this since superior sculpts still yield lesser results with poor paint.

It seems Hasbro have settled on VOTC as the standard size for Boba Fett's helmet. Unfortunately they have it wrong. The '300th' Boba Fett figure had a helmet that was both the correct size and shape and it hasn't been used since. Why?

See, this comes from a subjective viewpoint. I just measured the helmets against each other, I'd have to get out my micrometer to find a noticeable difference in size, in both width and height they are within a millimeter of each other. The only significant difference is the height of the rangefinder, and the more accurate design is on the VOTC figure. My guess is you're seeing a difference because of its relationship to the shoulder armor, but the helmets and bodies are pretty much otherwise in sync.



Bottom line, for me, I want to ask for these figures, I want to strive for better. I don't think one should fear change just because of a few missteps along the way - maybe they'll do better, maybe worse, but if they don't try to improve things, then we may as well just cling to our he-man POTF2 figures. Am I risking disappointment? Absolutely, and it's frustrating to see Hasbro blow it because it also means it'll be another year or 2 before they try it again, but my personal risks are merely a couple bucks and a little disappointment.

[bigbarada]

I agree with JT about the Saga Hoth Artoo being the best version of that character and the chrome-dome doesn't bother me at all. It's kind of a tradition for Artoo figures.

The Hoth version of the VOTC Artoo is an improvement because, as JT said, the paint apps really highlight the details (plus he's dirty in the films way more than he is clean) and it also does an acceptable job of drawing attention away from the glued-on body panel.

I also like the removable leg better than the retractable leg of the other astromech body. It's a K.I.S.S. solution to the whole third leg issue. Plus it allowed me to swap out the central leg from the Saga R5 figure, since those silver and blue rods are painted on the R5 figure, but for some reason have never been painted on the Artoo figure.

Hasbro would have to do something pretty amazing with a new Artoo figure to improve upon this one.

However, I disagree about VOTC Han Solo, that's an incredible figure, IMO. Aside from retooling him with a removable vest, I don't see any ways to improve upon the figure. If we never see another ANH Han Solo, then I'm perfectly happy with this one.

We've still never had a decent version of ANH Luke, but I've just lost interest in the figure. Hasbro would have to do something really cool to get me to buy another version of ANH Luke.

I will have to agree with Devo about the soft-goods. I used to drive the soft-goods bandwagon until Hasbro proved just how bad soft-goods could look on such a regular basis. I think the biggest problem is that their choice of material is terrible, it's too thin and almost transparent. Plus it doesn't hang off the figures well and juts out at odd angles. They either need to find a new material or just go back to sculpted capes.

[Devo]

OK if I'm honest I've never particularly scrutinised and compared with film all the R2 sculpts and I may have overstated the extent to which his figures rile me. I mentioned him because he's a main character, I've read many times that people wanted the R4-G9 sculpt rather than the VOTC, and therefore added him to my 'list' of 'failed' core character figures Hasbro put out this year. As with some other figures like Yavin luke, so hated by some people and yet not by me, I don't particularly have a problem with R2 figures and which body sculpt they use for him. However the chrome definitely does annoy me - I see it as a backward step - and not film accurate if you ask me. All the other astro droids get painted with matte silver and I don't see why they treat R2 differently.

Apart from the chrome dome I too loved the paintjob on the TSC Hoth Artoo, it seemed the most in touch with how R2 normally looks in the films. Still waiting on a new Tatooine version though - the best we have is still the commtech. I wouldn't mind a return to some planet-specific sculpted dirt and the restraining bolt for just one figure - likewise C-3PO.

I'm also forced to admit that the TAC jabbas palace head and the '04 Saga jabbas palace luke head are one and the same - but my god does that head not suit the ball-joint treatment! To me it looks like a really bad amateur custom job and not something a toy company-proper should have put out. I'm pretty sure someone else put it this way before I did - but the balljointing on that head makes it look like a Bobblehead figure - some sort of caricature. The poorer repaint doesn't help. I'm surprised to see you say JT "there's nothing really wrong with that head IMO except for the likeness, but that's due to the Saga figure's sculpt from 3 years prior being a lesser sculpt". Maybe I misunderstand you but I think and always did think that the 04 Saga JP Luke has an excellent sculpt - and is far superior as it was painted originally on that figure than has been done in 2007.

As to the Fett issue, I still think the 300th figure has the better headsculpt, if not the 'bigger'. Having them both in my hand I see that you're actually probably right in your observations JT, the difference is negligible and thanks for bothering enough to actually check this out. It could be a combination of the 300th figure's more downward pointing shoulder pads, the paintjob and the fact that its a solid head on a swivel neck that made me assume it was 'bigger' without having taken them both in hand to confirm. I don't know, my mind was telling me, and kind of still is, that the VOTC helmet has a more conical look to it. So alright this is subjective. I'd prefer to see the 300th figures' head on that new Evolutions body but obviously Hasbro wanted a removeable helmet and a (more) hollowed out VOTC head was the easier option.

I guess a whole lot of what I've said is subjective. I wish todays figures would combine the likenesses achieved in 2000 with the better examples of Superarticulation we've gotten under Hasbros current output. Its why I hold up ROTS Count Dooku as the closest to a definitive figure as Hasbro have done in recent years, even despite my own lack of enthusiasm for the prequel films:

-the best likeness of Christopher Lee
-god bless the days - a normal swivel neck
-a soft goods cape that can hang well
-and NO OTHER softgoods to compromise the look of the figure
-no unnatural looking joints visible
-and yet the joints are there and they work
-furthermore the figures sabre-handling capabilities are indeed 'far beyond' those of any other figures - he can hold a lightsabre pointing outwards from his body - not only due to the sabre design but because of the shoulders and the sculpting of his palm

All this figure lacks is an unlit lightsabre mountable on his belt. The Evolutions Dooku would have been good had it been released before this figure but its ball-joint head and its inferior softgoods made it a step back for me. Subjective again I'm forced to admit because there are people who prefer that figure for the very reasons I don't.


In summary, a lot of Hasbros current trends - soft-goods, super-articulation, balljointed heads, converting originally swivel-based heads into balljoints - seem to be introducing with them a whole lot of risks and complications that, in '07 particularly, are seeing fruition into out-and-out flaws in final figures. It could be as Jargo said, and as Hasbro say themselves, that factory changes beyond their control result in some of the issues I'm ranting on about. But that doesn't change the fact that we wouldn't be talking about 'different neck post sizes' and 'head sockets' if Hasbro didn't insist on balljointed heads in the first place. It doesn't change the fact that we wouldn't be talking about VOTC Kenobis awful puffed up blanket or the Emperor's...what...are we supposed to call it a 'robe'?....if Hasbro didn't insist on Softgoods in the first place. Hasbro sometimes don't seem to be showing due consideration of what works when it works, and what clearly doesn't work when it doesn't work. Which is why I worry (inasmuch as one can 'worry' about toys) that I'm still going to be using my POTF2 Emperor for years after their next attempt.


.......look all I'm asking is for Hasbro to make the figures to my personal specifications, now is that too much to ask???!!!

[Mad Slanted Powers]

If a core character needs improvement or a different take on it, then by all means go ahead and ask for it. This is the very discussion that I was just reading in the ANH poll thread on Rebelscum. Some really want new versions of R2-D2 and Tatooine Luke. Others feel that those have been done too many times and it would be a waste to vote for one they will probably redo anyway.

These are some of my preferences on some of these issues:

R2-D2 - I prefer to have a retractable middle leg. The chrome doesn't bother me as much, but they've made him with the proper look, so why not all the time?

Ball-Jointed Heads - These don't bother me. I like the increased range of motion they provide.

Poorly disguised joints - I think it's more the blocky style ones that bother me. That's why I didn't like any of the ROTS Obi-Wans and Anakins very much, or the Maces. The VTAC Bespin Luke does have that piece that sticks out of the shoulder, but overall the joints don't bother me much on him.

Soft-goods - There certainly are plenty of examples of bad uses of soft-goods, like the Evolutions Sidious. However, at least it allows for some freedom of movement. A sculpted robe means the character can't sit even if he has articulated knees. When the ROTS Obi-Wan pilot was released, people were praising it and I didn't like it. Not until I took the plastic robe off and looked at the rest of the figure did I notice how good the rest of the figure was, though I still had some issues with it. The sculpted cape on the concept Han Solo throws off the center of balance and make it hard to keep him standing without him being hunched over. I think that is my least favorite thing about all of the concept figures. Other figures with sculpted robes and capes make it hard to get the foot on a foot peg. The new Darth Vader/Anakin and Obi-Wan have the right mix of plastic and cloth for non-robed figures.

Poor likeness - I guess some of these are personal preferences, as I thought the VOTC Lando looked all right. Even the smuggler Lando didn't bother me. I think that was more the expression and the eyes that were painted oddly. They both have shallow peg holes though. That is my pet peeve. I can certainly agree that TAC Tatooine Luke didn't look all that much like Luke.

Scale - I was recently noticing how puny TAC 2-1B is compared to POTF2 2-1B.

Since Hasbro revisits core characters, I think it is important to let them know what we want when they get around to making them. They just don't usually rank as high on my want list as all new figures.

[majikmonkee]

Perhaps I'm too easily pleased, but I was satisfied with most of the core characters as of mid to late POTF2, POTJ, and Commtech era OT fig releases. I haven't really had any desire to snag any of the new sculpts since the Saga collection began. I'm not really concerned about articulation either, I'd rather have a nice, solid figure who only bends as much as your average POTF2 figure than a super poseable figure who has lots of visible joints and only half a head to they can give him a huge range of neck motion. I did buy the Jabba's palace Luke when it came out, and I agree that they really nailed the head and body sculpt, but when you consider that I was upgrading from the orange carded POTF2 Jedi Luke, that one badly needed an update.

I hate soft goods. I think in some cases, they are an excuse to not have to take the time to sculpt a good looking cape or cloak. I like the capes and cloaks that are made from soft, bendable plastic, like the ROTS Pilot Ob-Wan had. I do agree soft goods have a place on the lower body if you're giving a figure extra leg articulation, but remember, I don't really care that much about articulation myself.

I know I haven't addressed nearly all the points made in the original post, but I can safely say I have no interest in requesting any new sculpts of core characters, I'd rather see that energy directed toward giving us decent sculpts of some of the EU core characters like Kyle Katarn or Dash Rendar or the like...

[Sinscia Fat'o]

Wow were to begin? I disagree with A LOT said in this thread. Let's start at the begining.

Soft Goods: I love soft goods and i hope Hasbro keeps up the great work on it. I own virtually every figure that have soft goods on it, and i have never noticed any of them having weird angles. I loved the EVO Emperor with soft goods, i actually will never buy another Emperor unless he comes with a throne... that's how awesome i think this figure is. Order 66 Anakin i can't comment on because i've never seen one and i don't like to judge unless i have one in hand. Over all the worse use of soft goods i've ever seen, but it wasn't so bad that it made me hate the figure was VOTC Luke Skywalker (ANH). His soft goods tunic, or shirt which ever you prefer was a little to short on the bottom and a little to puffy on the top, as TAC Tatooine Luke Skywalker goes i loved that figure, the soft goods on the vest i thought was cool and different and made me purchase this figure when i would have passed.

Joints: I've been with Hasbro/Kenner since the days of Vintage, and back then the figures had what 5 points of movement? Now or days we have some figures with 18-20 points of movement that's three times the motion than a vintage, and three times the movement of an average POTF2 figure. So why complain? We're actually getting our money worth in these figures now. Do some of the joints to be well disguised? If it's possiable. But does Hasbro need to go with Sculpt over Articulation? Please god no!!! I'll take a big bulkly joint over a static does nothing arm or leg any day. And has anyone noticed since Hasbro joined the 21st century in toys that figures actually stand up now?

Ball Joint Necks: I love them! If you customize figures like a good chunk of collectors and ever kids do, then Ball Joint necks are a god's send. Do they need to be better in some cases? Sure. There's always need for improvement. VOTC Leia (Endor) TAC Luke, were all named bad examples of this but what about VOTC Han Solo, Comic Packs Kir Kanos, TAC Biggs Darklighter (Tatooine), All really great examples of Ball jointed necks. Personally i liked VOTC Leia as he neck doesn't look that big to me.

VOTC Han Solo...I have and will never buy another Han Solo again. Why should I? VOTC has the best possiable likeness, the best articulation, the only reason i would buy another is just exactly what Big Barada said, as if they made a figure just like this one, but with a removable vest or a soft goods vest.

As for R2-D2, i agree with you on some issues here and i think we need a ultimate R2 with all of his gadgets and gimmicks ETC. I would pay 20 bucks for a great R2-D2 but the VOTC, or Saga R2 doesn't cut it for me even though i do like the Hoth one, and the TAC Endor one...Which are pretty much the same figure.

disimproving likenesses, I agree with a lot that has been said here...some figures such as Tatooine Luke from TAC could have been improved on (Even though i liked the figure...it could use some work.) Leia's first VOTC figure i thought had the doll face going and i hate that on this kind of figure, and even VOTC Leia Endor suffers from this to some degree, but they at least tried a little more on the endor than the ANH version of Leia. Though Chewie is the end all be all of figures hands down.

inconsistent scale Yep, something needs to be done here...at least they are going in the right direction. Look at the wookies from ROTS (Those figures at least had it right in the scale department even though they suck all the way around the board in every other way.) Chewie again is the stand out, while i think the TAC Jawa and all of the R2-D2 figures except for the VOTC one suffer in this catagory. I also must say C-3P0 is another good example. Saga Endor C-3P0 is a great figure but it lacks the scale value of VOTC one.

Over all, yes there are a lot of problems with the line, but i might ask is there really a problem? Because let's face it, the day they make a perfect main character is the day the line ends...

[majikmonkee]

I just don't really care for soft goods because they have a tendency to shift out of place when you handle the figure, and hoods and cloaks tend to flare out on figures rather than "hanging" like they should, since gravity doesn't pull on small pieces of cloth like it does a full size cloak. I'm definitely not trashing them all around, just saying I prefer the figures that don't have them. At least they've made an effort to improve on the old plastic "capes" the vintage figures used to wear. If I saw that Order 66 Anakin in the store, though, and he looked just like he does in that picture, I'd run...far, far away.

[Devo]

Alright I think I know what my problem is. There are all these issues that bother me, but these same issues aren't even seen as 'issues' by some others - I don't understand it but what can I say. Some love soft-goods in virtually all its applications whilst I hate it in almost all its applications, some love ball-jointed heads while I generally can't stand them - but these days Hasbro are only catering to one side of this divide...and it aint mine. All core characters, with few exceptions, are being burdened with ball-jointed heads and soft-goods are being used on key characters where I really wish there would be a plastic, more realistic looking alternative.

I have this terrible feeling that when Hasbro next do a ROTJ Emperor they're going to go the soft-goods route again - they're going to try to 'improve' that ridiculous Evolutions soft-goods robe (possible only to a minimal extent if you ask me). Fine for those of you who just can't stand the idea of a salt-shaker....but what about my preferance for a figure that actually looks like what its supposed to be right out of the box? Because I will take an excellent, accurate sculpt over a figure that barely resembles what its based on when its obcured inside some oversized cloth piece that sticks out everywhere it shouldn't. People complained about that Saga Emperor with its ridiculous huge hood and they were right to...but I don't see how the likes of the Evolutions Emperor is any better. So when Hasbro dish out a new Soft-goods Emperor and it inevitably ends up looking out of place next to all those sculpted troops in a Death Star II diorama, where will be my nice new plastic alternative?...I won't get one, I'll be sticking to POTF2, not by choice but because theres no better alternative. I'll also be asking where my cool new Death Star II Jedi Luke is, the one that does have a lower jaw and whose hair doesn't stick out 5 feet at the back - which I think is more important than the ability to tilt his head. I more than likely won't have one. I'll have to settle for an anatomical mutant...unless Hasbro pulls off one of those rarities of a ball-joint head that actually looks alright. But I won't start praising ball-joint heads if they happen to get it right on one figure when its a needless risk in the first place.

edit: I will add that IMO minimal and considered Soft-goods use is perfectly fine where a good or at least 'not bad' result is able to be guaranteed - such as on the new Obi-wan and Anakin figures - and the lower parts of jedi tunics generally. However I think full robes rarely turn out right, and entire tunics and jackets are very ill-advised.