The Energon Pub

by **Henry921** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:49 am

amtm wrote:The biggest problem with Transformers Prime is the aesthetic. It's a mishmash of the TF Animated look and the TF Movie look. Neither one is appealing.

G1 was great because, for the most part, the early seasons featured robots that turned into realistic looking vehicles or devices. You know, "robots in disguise." They took plenty of liberties with the animation models, but the toys still looked like regular old cars, trucks, guns, and so on.

A few iterations based on shows since then have done that in some form or another, but in the efforts to "innovate", none has really matched G1. The Bayformers have unnecessarily complex, ugly bot modes (every Decepticon looks like an insect or a chicken), and the ones based on Animated or TF Prime just look too stylized and goofy. Stuff like Kreo has its own issues, though frankly I'd love to see a full-length Kreo stop motion movie.

Ultimately, while the acting in TF Prime is good enough for me to forgive the visuals, I don't buy toys I don't like the look of. (That includes almost the entire DOTM line.) And my nephews feel the same way. They don't dig silly.

If Hasbro would just get back to basics and think about what really made Transformers work from the beginning, it might be easier to sell toys. A Transformers show and movies with the same basic visual look as the Universe/Generations Classics toys--i.e., realistic alt modes and basically humanoid robot modes--would be the best thing ever. Ditch the crayons and aliens, and you'll sell some toys. The Binaltech line and what Kenji Ishida has done with Brave Robotics would be a great creative starting point for a reboot.

I'm afraid I completely disagree. I think the show's aesthetic is one of its stronger aspects. It's very stylized, and doesn't feel the need to show all the moving mechanical parts like the live action films. It's distinct and impressive without trying to look real. It doesn't look like much else on TV. The Decepticons in particular have great designs, and these are probably my favorite looks Ratchet, Bulkhead, and Arcee have ever had. Prime Soundwave may not be as iconic as his casette playing boombox self, but I'm willing to wager you knew who he was in his first appearance, and know what a badass he is without any lines of dialogue whatsoever. If that isn't a testament to the capabilities of the animation (storylines notwithstanding), where an emotionless,
voiceless aerial drone is one of your favorite characters, I'm not sure where to begin.

On to season 3 conclusions... well, until Megatron is dead-dead, I really don't think there's any way for the story to be over. If he goes into hiding, even with the Nemesis and the New Kaon fortress gone, he'll still be the scariest, most insane mofo in the galaxy. No matter how much they tie up this season there'll be dangling unresolved plot threads and much fanwank will ensue.

News Credits: 1 · by **KNM2012** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 9:37 am

njb902 wrote:
Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:
RAcast wrote:Once again, Hasbro has said multiple times that the Aligned continuity will go on for quite awhile. TFPrime will end, yes.
BUT.
We aren't looking at a reboot!
It will be another series in the same universe.
So:
[Aligned continuity season 4] :: TF Prime
as
Beast Wars :: the G1 cartoon

So do you figure it will be the same aesthetic as TF:Prime, but with different characters?

Or will it be a different look with the same characters in another setting (either past or future)?

Because if it's a different look with the same characters in pretty much the same setting, dealing with more or less the same situation, then that's just a reboot.

In whatever case, I still have hopes that the next series won't be crap. If they've been working on this for a 30th anniversary release though, then that makes me wonder what they've been doodling on. Also, makes me feel kinda like TFP was a sort of place holder.

Wfc and foc take place in the same continuity and look completely different than prime. It could go anywhere.

I want to make this both clear and perfectly honest on this subject:

HASBRO: Look at everything they are working on in terms of comics, movies, and current animated features. They are not going to abandon the "aligned" continuity, and will not abandon any other continuities. So if they want to do a Generation One reboot, they can do it while having that coincide with another Aligned series and anything else they see fit.

CONTINUITY: The Binder of Revelation is the continuity here, folks. Hasbro has made this to be the definite truth. They also said that each and every series is also a variation of what is defined in this binder to be simply a studio's take of said events. So much like the debut of Binaltech, we need to take the major portions of this continuity seriously, and see the rest as pure superficial elements.

In other words... Hasbro will only prove what was stated in Doctor Who is true: Continuity is based on set events that can never be changed, not the superficial events that separate one version from another. That, and we should expect Hasbro to do more than one continuity, especially if it means they can vacuum the money out of our wallets. :lol:

So with that said, I need to find a way to get my hands on said binder and if it is just Hasbro elements or if we may eventually have Milton Bradly (pre-Hasbro), Takara, and TOMY elements be in it as well. :PEACE:

by **SaTaN CoNvOy** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:54 pm

So only 13 episodes for season 3 eh? Its the curse of the Beast I tellz ya!
Season 3 of Beast Wars had how many episodes? 13.
Beast Machines as a whole only had 26 episodes.
TFP had a helluva better run than that cancer that was Tfa.
I'd say that there is some heavy over reaction here but, then I take a step back and remember what fandom this is.

News Credits: 1 · by **KNM2012** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:04 am

SaTaN CoNvOy wrote:So only 13 episodes for season 3 eh? Its the curse of the Beast I tellz ya!
Season 3 of Beast Wars had how many episodes? 13.
Beast Machines as a whole only had 26 episodes.
TFP had a helluva better run than that cancer that was Tfa.
I'd say that there is some heavy over reaction here but, then I take a step back and remember what fandom this is.

How dare you! Only a Satan Convoy would mention the number of episodes that Beast Machines had! Back into the pit that you came from! Kidding. But TFA being a cancer? Despite not favoring it, myself... I liked it on account it was better handled than the Unicron Trilogy. The English dub version, as the original Japanese dub version was tolerable at best. The benign tumor that might turn into a cancerous tumor for me was Beast Machines, as while the CGI was superior to Beast Machines... The story used for it was not. :BOOM:

Besides... Even if season 3 is shrunk, they have hinted at the fact that they might have more PRIME-based projects at hand. So lets just say that I am hoping they do side-stories and retellings that fit the PRIME version of this continuity.

Besides, with the fanbase... Even with serious issues I had in 2012 with two members here, the fanbase here is far more mature and superior to others I have come across. To this day, I can say that the worse came from Dragon Ball Z. Namely because some fans within that fanbase still have an anti-FUNimation Nazi regime attitude towards those who supports said company. This, despite the fact it was Saban's fault for the original heavy edits, and Toei's fault for not supplying the original music.

Either way, even those who act entitled to either being right or wanting something at their own chosen price are far more mature than other fanbases that I have encountered both online and on Facebook. But shhhh... :-$

Don't tell any of them that I sincerely said that they are better than most of the other fanbases outside this site.

by **Henry921** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:28 am

We won't brag to the other fan communities about how mature and respectful we are. We'll just be smug and condescending to them, because we now have objective proof that we're better than they are.

I don't get all the hate Animated gets. Is it just the kiddie look? The traditional animation? The show's not perfect, but it's still one of my favorite series, and I like it significantly better than the first two-thirds of the Unicron trilogy.

As for Beast Machines... I think a lot of our hatred stems from it not being anywhere near as good as Beast Wars, rather than because of the series' story flaws. It can get drawn out and ponderous at times, but I do recall the series more favorably now than I did when I was 13.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:54 am

I like Prime, I like Animated, I like Beast Machines, I like Beast Wars, I like Rescue Bots, I like Cybertron, I like Chojin Masterforce, and I like Robots in Disguise (but NOT all in that particular order). Those are my favorites.

The rest (G1, The Headmasters, Victory, Armada, Go-Bots) range from decently cool to just okay, with Energon being the only one I don't like (I don't hate it either, but it's leaves very little to like).

Still haven't seen enough of Beast Wars II or any of Beast Wars Neo to make a fair judgement of either.

by **WiEGoP** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:06 am

I think that my biggest fear with Season 3 is not that it’s the end of Transformers Prime, but that it’s ending Transformers Prime by introducing a completely new concept and group of characters, and trying to satisfactorily close everything they ended with in season two, all in 13 episodes. I’m worried we’re going to have a ‘Rebirth’ syndrome where what should be a satisfying conclusion with characters we’ve grown to love becomes a rushed last ditch effort to drop as many new names, new concepts, and new characters as possible to sell new toys and redecos of the same toys with shiny different colored armor.

I also hate the designs of the Predacons, I know they were going off an equation of spiky Megatron+Dragons=Awesome. And an update of Beast Wars style colorful designs. But they really look like someone killed the normal designer and some crack addict painted Bakugan and Yu-Gi-Oh monsters in G2 colors.

by **DinobotSix** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 5:59 pm

Yeah, I think the Prime Predacons overall look sucks too...*shrug*

I'll hold out hopes for the new series to follow Prime. Would love to see something closer in design style to the IDW comics, myself.
Or even something between High Moon's style and Prime. Maybe even go for a brighter look ala G1.

Hopefully whatever they're following Prime with will do something FRESH. As for the Beast Hunters line...time will tell if Hasbro's decision of "More spikes and explosions" will lift their profits much. I'm doubtful. Products need to stand apart from their surroundings to capture even a child's attention...and Beast Hunters tends to blend in a bit too much, imo.

News Credits: 3 · by **Optimizzy** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:00 pm

Personally I like beast hunters. I don't really like the look of the games. Too blocky. I wouldn't mind IDW design but I actually like Prime design for the most part. I think Optimus Prime needs to eat something sometime but other than that I like it.

by **MINDVVIPE** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:12 pm

Optimizzy wrote:I don't really like the look of the games. Too blocky.

BLASPHEMY! :MR-T:

News Credits: 3 · by **Optimizzy** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:46 pm

I guess what I mean is that it is not the optimal design. Megaton is too angular. Starscreams waist looks weird. Bumblebee has a beer gut. Prime is ok and sound wave is awesome bit otherwise it's just not my favorite.