What you prefer for your vehicles?

[ToneGunsRevisited]

I was wondering what kind of vehicles do you like better, the more realistic like the Night Ops Humvee, Warthog AIFV, Skystryker, Nite Raven... Or do you like better the more unrealistic like R.O.C.C., R.H.I.N.O., H.I.S.S. I, II, III, IV, AGP Pod, DEMON, etc...

[ToneGunsRevisited]

I'm more in the realistic type. ;)

[Sonneilon]

This is a hard one to figure out. Cuz when it comes to Cobra, I prefer mainly unreleastic vehicles. I see them as being pseudo-futuristic or cutting edge so their stuff is kinda weird. Now, there are a ton of vehicles I didn't like on their side. The watersleds and Trubble Bubbles and POGO being near the top. But stuff like the Stinger, MAMBA and Nite Raven were way cool.

As for Joe, it's a mixed bag. I loved the HAVOC. But I loved the APC too. With the most recent offerings; ROCC and RHINO, I like both. But I also like the Patriot Grizzley and Desert Humvee. *Shrug*

I can't vote on this one.

[snipesfg17]

I find that I base my rating of vehicles on thier utility, not necessariliy their realism(which i voted for). For instance, the Hiss tank has an unrealisticly high profile and terribly exposed gunner position, but its sloped armor design coupled with its speed and versatiliy make it an excellent Cobra track. Likewise, on a more recent vehicle, the battle hornet is a completely unrealistic flying machine, but if used as a quick striking close air support platform that travels with armored columns it serves a usable purpose.
I have to agree that the pogo is an unrealistic vehicle and additionally has a very low utility no matter how it is employed. I don't like vehicles of this style.

[Sonneilon]

I talked to my buddy Drew (who was doing filecards for Hasbro; Plague Trooper 6-pack...) about the concept of the Stinger. I was thinking, so many people are dying for a good Cobra jeep. It'd be a pretty fast, easy and inexpensive retool if the just used the current Humvee already available. But alas, Drew explained to me that Hummer/GM was VERY specific on how it was to be protrayed. ie; nothing could be added or taken away from it if it didn't represent the real thing in life. :(

And here, I had a whole plan where Cobra stole a bunch of these things and modded them into Stingers. I can deal totally w/ realistic vehicles w/ touches of fantasy to it. I have to agree w/ Snipes. Being able to use the vehicle means a lot and sometimes, it doesn't matter what it looks like.

[ender098]

I like realism. But to be honest, the R.O.C.C. and R.H.I.N.O. I don't realy consider too fantastic, except for their air vehicles. Dump the Vehicle-within-a-vehicle idea and I think they would be cool. That was what ruined GI Joe for me in the early 90's was that 3-in-1 vehicle idea (MAGGOT, THUNDERCLAP, Condor). I own a lot of BBI and 21st century vehicles I use with GI Joe. Cobra should have fantastic vehicles, but not too far out (like the POGO or the Condor). I don't mind futuristic, but try to keep it real! The DEMONS I hated(although I own 4), I use Sgt Savages IRON Panther tanks for Destro's front line tanks (but I need a few more).

[LordRaven]

I want a PTE Blackhawk more than anything right now, but powerteamHg refuses to answer my e-mails about shipping here to NS, and I can't find them on Ebay. I'm more realistic vehicle kinda guy, I have the RHINO, Night Ops Humvee and I love em. I just REALLY wanna get my hands on a PTE Blackhawk.

[Outrider]

Definitely the realistic stuff, and the more battle worn, the better. But having said that, I don't have a problem with vehicles such as the ROCC, the Rhino, HISS tanks, the Mamba etc...in fact, I love 'em. As long as they have a basis in reality, as long as they are feasible, then I will use them without hesitation. Although, when you get to the Buzz Boar, you start to lose me... :)

[yorktownjoe]

I agree with Craig. I prefer a good old VAMP or Dragonfly over a lot of the later stuff. But as long as it is feasible or has some basis in reality, that's good too.

I never was quite sure how Cobra and GI Joe were both able to run space missions on the spur of the moment while it takes NASA 4 to 5 years to plan a mission. Nimble logistics, I guess... ;)

But as much as we may have preferences for one over the other, I have never really disparaged the fact that missile pods on a night raven are ludicrous if the vehicle is moving 3 times faster than the missile. (I loved the SR-71 on which night raven is "loosely" based, and wish we still used them to spy on unruly upstarts around the world.)

And we can all suspend a little disbelief for weapons placement that would clearly kill vehicle operators...since this is a TOY/collectible line. It is also good to remember a lot of what Hasbro was doing was trying to appeal to young audiences who would eventually appreciate the sublte, "realistic" aspects of vehicles as they collected and grew older. But to draw their attention, it is tricky if you only use regular olive drab vehicles. (I would have still collected, but not everyone.) Not condoning weird vehicles, just giving a possible reason for some of the more garish choices over the years.

Okay, enough of my pseudo-coherent rambling... That was supposed to be my 2 cents, and it ended up being more like $2.37. :rolleyes:

[Gatilho]

[size=2][font=Arial]I like realism, but I think that some vehicles such as Cobra HISS are pretty cool and can be used normally without being strange. I like the idea of both sides having new technology to fight each other and use state-of-art equipments too, in this case, futuristic looks are welcome.[/font][/size]

[font=Arial][size=2]Gatilho[/size][/font]

[Sonneilon]

[QUOTE=yorktownjoe]I agree with Craig. I prefer a good old VAMP or Dragonfly over a lot of the later stuff. But as long as it is feasible or has some basis in reality, that's good too.

[/QUOTE]

Dragonfly over NAC?

VAMP over... Uhmmmmm... Well... NiteOps Humvee or Desert Humvee?

[ToneGunsRevisited]

Maybe I should re-do the pool with multiple choices. It's surfacing here that for COBRA all people are in the more unrealistic/futuristic like HISSes, and for Joe all people are more for realistic. :D

[Lava Boss]

Realistic. I think even Cobra is better grounded to some level.

I do like many unrealistic offerings, but the problem was in later years, the unrealistic vehicles also became impractical and silly looking. Too many armored vehicles with glass canopies, overuse of the "splits in mulitple vehicles" gimmick, plus bad colors, weapons with no apparent ammo sources, missiles stuck to everything...in the 90's, vehicles seem built around gimmicks, like the gimmick came first. The Rat's crap, but it's just a shell for some stupid spinning blade launcher anyway. ATF fighters were jets built around water guns.

They overdid the Land Battleship concept that began with the HAVOC and peaked with the Rolling Thunder. They kept going with the Raider and the Avalanche and the Battle Wagon. All of which were over-armed, yet under armored with exposed crew and/or glass canopies. They sometimes seemed to be lacking enough crew to operate all ithe weapons (like the Avalanche). The Battle Wagon had an absurdly high profile. Of all of them, the Mean Dog is probably my favorite, and the closest to being "real", splitting feature aside.

Cobra had some of them, too. Sort of. The submarine tanks, which were too nautical in nature to go toe-to-toe with Joe land cruisers. Destro's Demon and Razorback come close, as does the Rage, but the Rage seems somewhat more down-to-earth in design, aside from too many tacked on weapons and an undersized turret. The Razorback's weapons seem limited compare to the mutiple guns and giant missiles of the Raider.

Cobra in general became too sea-oriented, maybe due to Cobra Island. From 1987 onward they got at least one new sea vehicle every year until 1991, while the only GI Joe sea items were repaints like Tiger Fish, Tiger Shark and Night force items. It felt a bit unbalanced.

[bluestalker88]

I prefer the realistic but mostly for the joes, for cobra I prefer unrealistic like the hiss and destros dementor

[Outrider]

[QUOTE=Sonneilon]Dragonfly over NAC?

VAMP over... Uhmmmmm... Well... NiteOps Humvee or Desert Humvee?[/QUOTE]

Excellent point, G. The newer realistic vehicles are superior to the older realistic vehicles, and the Humvees, in particular, are just awesome. One problem with the older vehicles is that they always seem too small to fit figures in without almost breaking them. Try and fit a new sculpt figure (or even an 80's figure, for thet matter) into the Vamp or Stinger and you'll see what I mean.

[yorktownjoe]

Point well made about troop capability. My example of VAMP and Dragonfly were just for old favorites sake. If only I had the means (or the storage space) to start rolling in humvees. I did find a "Hammer" (circa 1989), but my boys removed the top and now it is more of a "covertable" concept. I would love either Humvee, but I'm content to just add figures now, as I really have no room for storing more vehicles. And I don't think I'm going to be able to use that as a rationale to move to a bigger house so I can have a "Joe" room.

[Sonneilon]

I bought a Stinger off EBAY 2 yrs ago and tried to put a new sculpt in it. D'oh. So much for that idea! I was grasping at straws in trying to compare the VAMP to something. If Hasbro didn't have the humvees, I really don't know what it could compare to. Certainly not the the Brawler, Splitfire or Smokescreen. Not a lot of options after that. I like each vehicle on it's own but together, they just seem off.

I agree tho, if 2002+ never happened, I'd still be down w/ the old, original, vintage stuff. I had pretty narrow tunnel vision in terms of GI Joe around the movie and Cobra War days.

[Outrider]

[QUOTE=yorktownjoe]If only I had the means (or the storage space) to start rolling in humvees. I did find a "Hammer" (circa 1989), but my boys removed the top and now it is more of a "covertable" concept. I would love either Humvee, but I'm content to just add figures now, as I really have no room for storing more vehicles. And I don't think I'm going to be able to use that as a rationale to move to a bigger house so I can have a "Joe" room.[/QUOTE]

YTJ, I know that feeling only too well. Every spare centimetre of storage space is crammed with Joe vehicles and figures. Every time I get a new vehicle, it takes about an hour to rearrange everything to make a space for it. A bigger house would be nice, but that's a pretty drastic (and expensive) option to take just so I can have more Joes!! :(

[Sonneilon]

As a nu skulpt DORK, I have space but due to an upcoming remodel, I've had to pack a lot of it away. Or store it elsewhere. I admit, I have 3 desert humvees. I found them for cheap in a store and I had them planned for a dio that fell apart. I know what you guys feel tho. I have a ton of new vehicles and am running out of places for them. Good thing I only have 1 ROCC.

[The Leader]

I like my Joes and Cobras to be realistic. The H.I.S.S. is about as sci-fi as I get with my Cobra vehicles, and the H.A.V.O.C. is as wacky as I get with my Joe forces.

[Bayer]

I've always been a realist until recently. I'm in the midst of some customizing on several vehicles including the RHINO, the IceSabre and several other of the recent additions.

The trouble I have now is that with the new Striker vehicles that the USMC started using, that once clear line between fact and scifi has been blurred big time. When I was a kid, the Awe Striker was the closest to real that I had. The Mauler looked a bit like the Abrams MBT, and the Tomahawk looked a lot like the Chinnok. But they were always stylized and limited my realist attitudes toward play.

Now companies like 21st Century Toys, Lanard, and Big Blue Toys are marketing vehicles closely based on the real thing. I have quite a few of these vehicles for the Joes and the other major world powers (Britain, Russia, Israel) but now find myself limited in Cobra/bad guy equipment. I also have some special gear coming up for my "First String" team.

[Dersham]

Seems I can ramble on since everyone else is, don't want to feel left out afterall. Well my two cents is that when I first got into GI JOE as a kid I did like the unrealistic probably because I didn't really consider combat functionality. Now though being older as I am (or at last I think so) I prefer the more realistic vehicles because they were created to be more practical well most of the time. If vehicles were created based on other real vehicle designs then yes we would be seeing more practicality. Anyone remember that cruiser vehicle that had the launcher on it that could shoot that little blue glider. For me that had to be the pinnacle of the poorer designed vehicles as open driving positions like those were just way to exposed. So I voted for realistic vehicles.

[The Leader]

[QUOTE=Dersham] Anyone remember that cruiser vehicle that had the launcher on it that could shoot that little blue glider. For me that had to be the pinnacle of the poorer designed vehicles as open driving positions like those were just way to exposed.[/QUOTE]

What's so bad about open positions? It makes it a lot easier for Cobras to shoot the Joes! ;)

[Sephron13]

I put "realistic", but it's really not quite accurate. I, like many others, like my Joe vehicles to be pretty grounded in reality, but Cobra I can definitely see branching off into the more fantastic designs. The HISS tanks, the MAGGOT (looking past seperating the components), the MAMBA are all awesome examples of the "acceptable", yet unrealistic, vehicles. Cobra is unconventional and a lot of their power comes from being terrorists; their image is important because fear is their greatest weapon and I think that shows in their uniforms, armor, weapons and vehicles. The ROCC and the RHINO, however, on the Joe side of things, are definitely futuristic, but I wouldn't say they were unrealistic (think science-fiction here).