A Transformers Thread

If Optimus' trailer was a character then it would also be a toy you have to buy.

That's not really an issue in itself. One extra toy is no big deal.

The character showing up with a great personality might be harder. And it'd be too big to be a Minicon...

Maybe it could become Scourge? Who eventually turns good? Or another version of Ultra Magnus? He tends to be a huge vehicle by design.

I think the obvious issue with making the trailer into a character is what does the character do when Optimus isn't around? And since Optimus is pretty much guaranteed to be on the show, that's an issue that will come up. That you have a character who is functionally useless without the other characters.

It's sort of the same issue as having Megatron be a pistol. What does Megs do when he's alone.

And yeah, it's one more toy to sell, but it's a toy that can only be sold to people who own Optimus, Who just wants a trailer?

Even when ''Masterforce' made a trailer transformer, Godbomber, they still made him a drone rather than a real character, despite him having a robot mode of his own.

Optimus sells like hotcakes and is a severely popular character. Selling a toy that's an add-on to it isn't even a real issue.

But yeah, I agree with issues with making the character plausible.

It's more or less why they tend to have the trailer as either a non-sentient add-on, or just not be a character at all. Minicons often suffered from this heavily too, but they also didn't need to show up all the damn time.

That said, Optimus wouldn't have to have a trailer all the time either, which could give some day in the limelight episodes. But unless the trailer was vastly interesting as is, it might not help much. At least show-wise. Won't hurt toy sales much even then, though.

It sort of is when you remember your primary audience doesn't buy their toys. Their parents do. So you need the parents to be aware that the character requires "that one specific optimus" and is functionally useless without it.

(And lets not even go into that a given line is likely to have multiple versions of Optimus' figure and your trailer will likely only work with one of them)

edited 8th Nov '17 6:54:02 AM by Ghilz

It's still freaking Optimus. You're way underestimating how hard it will sell.

Now the issue with it only working with one version, that is a realistic issue. Not a huge one, since it's not too hard to make it compatible with redoes anyway. Likewise, just making it a normal add-on as a duo combo is even easier to do. No different from how easy it is to sell various mini-cons.

Minicons worked with every figure in their lines though :-P

And again, not understating how Optimus sells. Quite the opposite. That;s the issue. Parent buys trailer, coz his kid got Optimus last year. The one from the previous line. What? Trailer doesn't work? Queue angry letter to Hasbro. And before you tell me "Well packages would be different" you expect a parent to remember the packaging of a toy they bought their kid (heck, they might not even have bought themselves if the kid got it as a gift) a year earlier? Or to remember the details of which red and blue truck guy is which?

Yeah you can make a 2 pack. But 2 packs for an Optimus would be fairly expensive, and they don't sell as well. You can see that by how hasbro favors individual figures over selling them as packs. Look at combiners: Individual figures are far more common than team packs.

edited 8th Nov '17 7:03:20 AM by Ghilz

Hasn't stopped them so far.

Ghilz mentioned that before.

It probably helps that the Transformers in that series were literal people shapeshifting, well, most of them. That can make toys more interesting or at least easier to sell.

Like I said, Godbomber is also a drone, not a character.

And also, he wasn't sold with Optimus, but with Ginrai. Only in Japan.

Also Also, he's a 2nd trailer. Super Ginrai already came with a trailer.

Also Also Also Godbomber, without Super Ginrai to combine with, is a SPECTACULARLY bad toy, even by the standard of G1. He transforms by being disassembled and re-assembled, and BARELY holds together. Something I am told the Legends version ALSO does. Talk about brand loyalty

If anything, he's an argument why that's a terrible idea.

They are more like Mechs? I mean the Transtectors were separate from the humans who turned into components for them.... Also some of the transtectors later became sentient. Japan is weird.

edited 8th Nov '17 3:58:25 PM by Ghilz

Holy crap Transformers Animated is incredible.

Yes it is.

I dunno, the animation has not aged well at all. Could never get past the first few episodes.

Transformers Prime was my incarnation. It was dramatic and portentous and had an amazing soundtrack and top-notch voice-acting. And Orion Pax was such a great character. Megatron was amazingly evil and smart and rutheless. Starscream was a perfect combination of hilarious and terrifying.

How is Transformers: Titans Return?

Haven't seen it because my knowledge of streaming services only extend to Netflix and Amazon Prime.

That said, some reactions I've read say it's...still not particularly good.

x2 Animated has way stronger character writing than Prime. Everyone is so bloody grim and serious and no one has even half the charm of Sari.

Animated was probably the closest to getting the mix of tense action and goofiness right besides G1. Several series try but they don't quite work out.

edited 18th Nov '17 11:12:46 AM by Psi001

What the fuck are you talking about?

The animation looks fine, its not even that old.

Though the fact the show was animated in wide screen then broadcast in fullscreen was weird.

I like both Animated and Prime.

I think both had their ups and downs, and I'm not sure if I could choose between one.

I'd probably take parts of both (along with the best stuff of G1) and mix them together.

I'd pick Animated. It has flaws, but it feels far more like a show that took risks and was more coherent.

Prime has character problems, repeating plot problems that lead to pacing problems. It's not a bad show but it's... disapointing. Sometimes it felt like the show was self-sabotaging.

Well I think Animated the deaths better.

Prowl's sacrifice will forever remain one of the saddest parts of the show. Compared to Prime were only Prime died & thats moot since he eventually came back.

edited 18th Nov '17 1:37:36 PM by slimcoder

Cliffjumper died in Prime's first episode. And, well, several of the Cons.

Though yeah, Prowl was one of the risks Animated took that worked. No Dinobot but pretty good.

edited 18th Nov '17 1:35:03 PM by Ghilz

I think Prime is worse cause didn't they say all deaths final or something?

Only to then have the good guys constantly cheat death while the Cons' numbers kept dwindling & dwindling?

I hold the death standard higher for good guys cause baddies dying is a given really.

edited 18th Nov '17 1:37:11 PM by slimcoder

I resent Prime more than I should because we got that instead of Animated Season 4.

Granted of the three good TF shows (Beast Wars, Animated and Prime) at least Prime remains consistently strong through till the end, and doesn't massively stumble out an unsatisfying conclusion like Beast Wars and Animated did.

edited 18th Nov '17 1:46:28 PM by Mr.Badguy

Depends if you count Predacons Rising? Coz I wouldn't call that one satisfying. It has good moments. But it's so rushed

I still don't care about death counts. More characterization. The fact that Bumblebee gets almost no character development till the last episode and the movie, that Arcee, the Ensemble Dark Horse, also sort of stops all character development by mid season 2, or Starscream's terrible. That Smokescreen's only arc lasts basically an episode. That Magnus is basically sidelined from the movie. The Character writing annoy me more than who didn't die.

edited 18th Nov '17 1:53:37 PM by Ghilz