The Energon Pub

So, this is a very simple question over a common issue.
Which do you beleive is more important?
A Tf's personality or Physical form (alt mode, etc.)?
I wanted to know what people think. It seems often that we say the alt isn't right or such for a character.
Myself, I think it doesn't matter if they aren't the best in terms of appearance, I wanna see what they're made of. Because the shell is useless without a spark, if you catch my drift.

well the right frame and tech spec will draw attention regardless but it's the inner workings that make the TF one you remember 10+ years later...

even if it's only the frame and name you remember.

also an atrocious TF frame can be a deal breaker to me...

I know it sounds shallow but if there are better toys out there is a good bio really going to grab the buyer's attention?

I personally prefer good concept art to the finalized toy specs and personality ranks some were in the middle; but I'm not much of a figure collector anymore and am willing to use personalized cannon.

I was trying more for the cartoons or comics. The toys I have a seperate opinon on.

Sherade wrote:I was trying more for the cartoons or comics. The toys I have a seperate opinon on.

If i never saw the character look interesting/cool then I'm likely not going to care about there personality... but if it'strickly there altmode vs personality then I can reasonably deal with a "bad alt".

Comics: Starscream as a formula indy car would bother me, but if his mech mode still looked like Starscream, had a fairly screamer-tude and he was colored right I could deal for a while. Say a 4 book mini series. I'ld rather have 5 or 6 book series though; just not with an indy starcream.

Optimus as a non red flying alt would have to be 3 levels of awesome for me to let it go though... Megs as a semi is also a no no for me. That's too close to how they got Magnatron, prime's evil white brother.

Cartoon: I'ld need a really good story/character to cover for IMHO bad alts and designs. Conversely a phenomenal alt, design, and action sequences can get me to over look a lame story for at least 5 episodes or so. I like the flashing lights too.

But don't ask my thoughts on TF: UT

Speaking on Indy Starscream....I kinda like the idea. It's not exactly traditional, but neither was BB as a Camaro.

Sherade wrote:Speaking on Indy Starscream....I kinda like the idea. It's not exactly traditional, but neither was BB as a Camaro.

BB as a totally sweet ride seemed plenty traditional to me.

AxiomScion wrote:I know it sounds shallow but if there are better toys out there is a good bio really going to grab the buyer's attention?

In a word, yes.

Personalities are 90% of the reason I like Transformers.
It won't sell me on a mech style I can't stand, such as the majority of movie figures, but it will sell me on molds I otherwise care zero about.

In fact, back in the '80's I already collected Star Wars figures, and their accessories and vehicles had way more playability.


But the comic, characters and mythos sold me completely.

Sherade wrote:A Tf's personality or Physical form (alt mode, etc.)?
I wanted to know what people think. It seems often that we say the alt isn't right or such for a character.

In my opinion, Alt modes are often a part of the character.

Take Starscream. The fact he's a high speed, sleek, manouverable airborne warrior is a huge part of what makes him so deadly.
If he Transformed into a fork lift truck, he'd hardly be the fear inspiring killing machine that allows him to be so ruthless.

Grimlock used his Alt mode almost like his proper mode, and his jaws were often his primary choice of weapon.
That suggests something about his character a tank or Mustang do not.

Don't forget, when G1 started, the toys already existed and personalities were written to match them, alt mode and all.
Hasbro sold many of us alt modes as a part of the personality, and it's remained attatched ever since.

Night Raid wrote:

Sherade wrote:Speaking on Indy Starscream....I kinda like the idea. It's not exactly traditional, but neither was BB as a Camaro.

BB as a totally sweet ride seemed plenty traditional to me.

Traditionally, Bumblebee wasn't a sweet ride.
He was a quirky and unique car that wasn't anything special.
In fact, compared to the other Autobots, it was pretty poor and inferior, which was what Bumblebee was all about.

Large, high performance muscle machine? Not so much.

Night Raid wrote:

Sherade wrote:Speaking on Indy Starscream....I kinda like the idea. It's not exactly traditional, but neither was BB as a Camaro.

BB as a totally sweet ride seemed plenty traditional to me.

Honestly camaro BB made me think Bay was after Hotshot and realized the fans wanted BB so made a compromise. My mom had a VW beetle; 'totally sweet ride' didn't enter my mind.

I think a creative enough concept artist could make most alts work. I just don't see them getting the needed artist to do it. The Indy Scream idea came about because of the proximity in Armada.

I'ld like to prefer characters to pictures but if both were at exceptable standards I'ld prefer stronger artistry.

and Lycan... While I can appreciate a good character bio now, and actually did when I use to collect, I don't have the mindset of a true figure buyer anymore.

I expected as much in terms of G1 homages, but what about new characters?
Personally, I found Animated Bulkhead really bad choice of character, until I saw him in the show. He was the perfect klutz to make the Autobots complete. Whether or not I buy the toy, depends on what I see in person.

But now I'm convinced to bash Indy Car Starscream.....hopefully not to be pummeled the army of angry fansboys or girls. You have just done it, Axiom.

And about Grimlock's Mustang....
I think it's his best incarnation yet. Maybe not a G1 alt, but it embodies him perfectly. A nice, tough car with the lines
I think can compare to a beast. I mean, in black and lowered it'd look evil...not that it'd work for Grimlock..much.
Toywise, I love how it worked out either way.
Then again, I'm partial to Mustangs...see sig.

I must say, it's been not even 8 hours and you are beginning to reshape my current opinion, although the character itself still stands strong.

Sherade wrote:I expected as much in terms of G1 homages, but what about new characters?

Personally, I found Animated Bulkhead really bad choice of character, until I saw him in the show. He was the perfect klutz to make the Autobots complete. Whether or not I buy the toy, depends on what I see in person.

And about Grimlock's Mustang....
I think it's his best incarnation yet. Maybe not a G1 alt, but it embodies him perfectly. A nice, tough car with the lines
I think can compare to a beast. I mean, in black and lowered it'd look evil...not that it'd work for Grimlock..much.
Toywise, I love how it worked out either way.
Then again, I'm partial to Mustangs...see sig.

I must say, it's been not even 8 hours and you are beginning to reshape my current opinion, although the character itself still stands strong.

Bulkhead... I think as the somewhat clumsy power house he fits in the TF:Animated team. Formerly in the Navy, the name didn't quite fit for me but then they may have been shooting for jarhead and he is bulky.

Grimlock as a mustang for a power conserving/peace time "up grade" could work. The spirit of what the mustang (car and horse) represents: wild, untamed, powerful. Is there a better fitting car alt for the Autobot that most Decepticons feared?

It sure beats the feathered BW raptor with spots. I really expected a grey and bronze season one BW Megs T-rex w/ a warwithin Grimlock head mold. I'ld love to see this Grimlock fight Magmatron or TM1 Megatron in comic. Instead he looks ironicly like a knock off dinobot.

I think for iconic characters like Starscream and Prime, they should be a jet and semi, unless it's not suited to the enviroment(I like the idea of three totally different Beast Convoy's with different alt modes, but then again, they aren't really "Primes" to me, just characters who've inherited the name and rank). A fire truck is a good choice too, cause not only is it a truck, it's red, Prime's primary color. Primary colors another thing too, like Bumblebee has to be yellow. If he was any other color, it just wouldn't look right.

A differing personality in an alternate Universe is ok too. Aramda Starscream(least in the show, the comics may have been different) is a fantastic character, yet shares none of the personality quirks his namesake employed. He's loyal to the Decepticon cause, wishes for peace, doesn't want overall power, can respect humans, etc. If G1 Starscream did this, I would not like it at all, but because Armada isn't G1, it's a nice change of pace.

In terms of other new characters that don't share any namesake( or an obscure one), the look is an immediate point of interest, but a lasting character will make me want to buy a figure. For example, I liked Prowl's animated look initially, but seeing him in action makes me really want the figure. Lockdown I thought was ok looking, but when I read his bio and saw him in action, I liked him a lot more.

So I guess they go hand in hand, though sometimes design/alt/looks go a long way(hence part of the reason why I love Guiltor so much, he looks so awsome, and isn't just a lame black repaint).

Simple answer to a simple question:

I am a personality person...appearances mean very little to me...If you have a crap alt mode yet a killer personality, I like the character.....Hell, I LOVE Beast Wars and every single alt mode on that show was crap! The personalities of the characters was what sold me on the show, first and foremost!

Personality... i mean, take rattrap as the perfect example. he transforms into a rat, how lame is that. but due to his personality he is one of my favorate transformers of all times.

I'm also going to have to say that personality matters more to me than a robot's appearance, simply because to me, a bot's personality and character is what sells the story.

Personality/character over physical appearance, definitely. Especially since so often their appearances change as they do over the various continuities. Even though the movie didn't really do a particularly good job of fleshing out the personalities of ALL the TFS, the ones that were given speaking lines were at least given lines that were consistent with their usual personas and attitudes - even Optimus saying "My bad" is just him apologizing for the awkwardness of his own size (based on their gasp of downloaded human lexicon).

Granted, there's certain aspects of the alt-modes that by now are considered traditional - Optimus usually turns into some kind of big truck; Megatron is always some kind of implement of destruction, whether vehicular or handheld; Starscream's always a jet; Jazz is some flashy sports car; Prowl's a police vehicle; Bumblebee always seems to be some kind of plain yellow car, etc. - and the robot modes always seem to be more consistent than not in each continuity, with the one obvious exception being Megatron. So I don't think the physical appearance of different versions of classic TF character is really all that big an issue.