The Energon Pub

News Credits: 3 · Sat Nov 21, 2009 1:19 am

AFter rewatching G1 episodes I realized the big changes to the designs after season 2. Beastwars went transmetal, and theres War Within with all cybertronian modes. DO you like the futuristic car types, or the cybertronian hovercars, or the modern-day earth modes. Even in Animated we see the cybertronian and futuristic-type cars.

ANd on a tangent thought do you prefer them being on cybertron or earth or some alien planet?

News Credits: 7 · Sat Nov 21, 2009 12:50 pm

I prefer Earth-modes because I like being able to see what a Transformer transforms into by looking at their robot mode, which is harder when their alt-mode doesn't exist IRL. It's one of their defining features, that they aren't just robots, their robots that can change into something else. And some like Movie Megatron just look naked without parts of some recognizable vehicle or other on their robot body.

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

I enjoy the futuristic modes. If done well (a la War Within) they look freaking awesome, and you know that the designers had some fun in making them work both in vehicle and robot modes. I'd like to see more of those types of figures in later lines.

News Credits: 1 · Sat Nov 21, 2009 11:09 pm

I like the Cybertron modes, too. I would love to see figures based on the Cybertron modes of Bumblebee, Wheeljack and Jazz as seen in "More than Meets the Eye". Even a new Cyber-Seeker mold would be nice.

It would be great if Hasbro would make a full-fledged (not filler) Classics line. Then once we got normal modes of all the main characters, there could be a Cybertron-mode assortment or two.

Of course, I'm dreaming. We still don't even have a normal Classics Jazz or Wheeljack. And still no G1 Arcee. (:|

Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:14 am

I like the contemperary alt modes, if they are realistic. But not if they are done to be 'kewl' and then turn out to be unfeasible, like Moviescream's F-22 altmode.

Edit: And I am not merely saying this to be Gee-wun. I had read that the military seems to not be too interested in the F-22, as they redacted an order for more after they found out how expensive these things are to upkeep. Interestingly, they have just started another F-15 series, I think it's called the F-15f. Go figure. 8-}

News Credits: 7 · Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:50 am

Futuristic and cyberton-modes.

After the thousandth Earth carmode, they just get lamer...

Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:30 am

I prefer Cybertronian or futuristic alt modes. I loved Sideswipe in ROTF. Plus I think it requires more imagination.

Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:19 pm

I thought Animated did a good job mixing the two in using Earth-futuristic alt modes.

A well thought out Cybertronian mode can look great, yes, like WW Grimlock. However I dislike when "Cybertronian jet" is used when basically the altmode looks like a vaguely triagular pile of crap, such as ROTF the Fallen.

Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:33 pm

i would like to see all cybertron modes. i would also like to see a war within series with no humans, on cybertron all the time, maybe visit and alien planet from time to time. the titanium series would be not titanium but like the normal type of plastic like we see in stores today.

Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:41 am

Both. I like variety in my series. The futuristic/Cybertronian modes do have a very sleek appeal, though.

News Credits: 2 · Thu Nov 26, 2009 6:16 pm

i really like them all.

Thu Nov 26, 2009 6:33 pm

I do like the Cybertronian modes. G1 Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime had great vehicle modes but the robots were lacking, toywise. G1 Hot Rod is my all time fave alt-mode. Coolest car ever!!!

I like the Titanium War Within seeker mold. It's my fave from that line.

Other cool modes are:

G1 Cyclonus - I dare you to say you don't think that jet is cool.

Afterburner - coolest bike ever!

Backstreet

Demolisher

Armada Starscream

Nosecone

Skullgrin (really needs an update)

Bombburst (needs a repaint from Cybertron Starscream)

Kup (hated him for years, but getting the toy last year mad me fall in love with that weird truck.

G1 Wheelie (c'mon, that toy car is cool)

Springer

War Within Wheeljack had a great design, as did the Dynobots.

The Movie left us down with Cybertron modes. Megatron was disappointing and I really hate the way the protoforms were portrayed.

Star Wars TF's are great though like the Bay Movie, I wish they had more G1-esque heads. But most are cool.

Thu Nov 26, 2009 8:29 pm

Zombie Starscream wrote:Interestingly, they have just started another F-15 series, I think it's called the F-15f. Go figure.

Well, actually, it's called the F-15SE Silent Eagle, bassicaly a F-15E body updated with current gen computer systems and a better radar absorbent material (stealth Capabilities). Yes, I know, im a plane fanatic.

Back on topic, I honestly prefer earth modes to futuristic/cybertronian vehicles. It just makes them seem more realistic, plus you actually know what they're supose to turn into.

Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:07 pm

I think it depends on the circumstances. The alt modes should fit in with the environment. Not much of a robot in disguise otherwise.

A flying fire engine is a no no. Unless flying fire engines are a common occurance. And a flying fire engine on planets that don't even have normal fire engines. Why? Surely it would be better to revert to a neutral form, the form before scanning the native vehicles. Unless the camouflage techniques aren't a simple task to change.

Also, going a bit off topic, humans on Cybertron without special life support systems or provisions are also a little annoyance.

Although this could be a cool way to kill off the annoying ones.

However I do believe that the beauty of cartoons are that you can get away with quite a lot of unbelievable things. Anything goes.

TF does like this freedom. G1 Optimus Prime and his magic trailer.

Sat Dec 19, 2009 3:56 am

I think all based on the setting. If they re on earth, then they should look like something from here for the majority of them. They are robots in disguise. If they were on the Klingon homeworld, Id expect them take the forms of that planet too.

While I think the series is due for a space based series, atleast to tell the civil war origins like the War for cybertron setting is going for. I mean how many reboots does the franchise need? As a toy line and animated series having an all cybertron series would be fine. Then if it continues then they go earth and the usual stuff happens. Hopefully they can continue the contuity for several years and incoperate the Beast wars somehow into it's mythos.

I prefer earth modes because it's easier gage the size of what it is, and it actually looks like something. (I was rather irked by armada having the transformers come down and not scan anything, and just magically had preexisting modes that looked like earth vechiles..thats what Gobots did too...it was lame.)

Sat Dec 19, 2009 10:57 am

Lastjustice wrote:I think all based on the setting. If they re on earth, then they should look like something from here for the majority of them. They are robots in disguise. If they were on the Klingon homeworld, Id expect them take the forms of that planet too.

I agree, although I think when it comes to Decepticons they don't have the same laws for blending in. It depends on their overall agenda. Personality should be taken into consideration when deciding if a Decepticon would have a camouflage alt mode. Would Megatron demean himself by taking on the lesser form of vehicle/weapon/other from a primitive civilization? Not without reason! What is the agenda of the Decepticons, and how would this influence what form they take?

Also Galvatron is just too insane to contemplate blending in anywhere.

News Credits: 37 · Sun Dec 20, 2009 8:18 pm

Me like cybertronian modes

Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:26 pm

Well sence they are normally alien transforming robots who scan new modes as soon as they come to Earth to blend in I kinda like them to have both an alien and a Earth alt mode and I'm really likeing how the Animated and even War Within Cybertronian robot modes have verry simular features to their Earth mode counterparts while still retaining a vehicle mode that looks absolutly alien and nothing like it's Earth counterpart.

I have a huge deal of respect for that portion of the design aspect while I generally hate the out of proportion Animated Characters I do like how simular their robot modes are in Cybertronian and Earth mode while their vehicle modes look nothing alike. All the Animated character except for Megatron are like that. Megatron's Cybertronain and Earth modes look nothing alike in either mode. Earth looks like G1 and Cybertron looks like Movie.

Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:58 am

I loved the transmetal line, it's style was just perfect for me. However, they all pretty much looked like the animal they were meant to represent. As far as a transformer like the movie line, looking exactly like the real life car, I don't care so much. I think I ultimately prefer a more realistic vehicle though. It's be really neat if they did like, 1950's alt modes.

News Credits: 2 · Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:16 am

Lunar-tic wrote:
Lastjustice wrote:I think all based on the setting. If they re on earth, then they should look like something from here for the majority of them. They are robots in disguise. If they were on the Klingon homeworld, Id expect them take the forms of that planet too.

I agree, although I think when it comes to Decepticons they don't have the same laws for blending in. It depends on their overall agenda. Personality should be taken into consideration when deciding if a Decepticon would have a camouflage alt mode. Would Megatron demean himself by taking on the lesser form of vehicle/weapon/other from a primitive civilization? Not without reason! What is the agenda of the Decepticons, and how would this influence what form they take?

Also Galvatron is just too insane to contemplate blending in anywhere.

'Cons are generally descended from War Builds (or Military Products), their alt-modes aren't so much for blending in as they are to be useful, either increased destructive potential (Megs, Shockwave, the Seekers) or espionage (Soundwave, Reflector).