The Energon Pub

Hey, people. CombaticonsCombine? here.

I changed this post's subject and main thread because, honestly, it was a pointless thread. In retrospect, Transformers HAS always been the same. Well, except for Kiss Players. Anyways, I think that I need to stop obsessing over G1 and express my love for other parts of Transformers lore.

I would please ask that an Admin lock this thread.

I mean this in the least combative sort of way (but I know that the text based medium won't convey that) but Optimus transformed into a semi truck back then as he does now. He hasn't changed (Megatron would have been a better example, since if you asked my 5 year old what Megs transforms into he probably doesn't know, let alone that he originally was a gun).

But they did reboot G1. Over and over and over and over and over and over. What you're suggesting is what has been happening over the decades. Many have taken the Autobots vs the Decepticons story and rebooted it (most recent was Transformers: Prime).

I won't argue with you, Optimus Prime was a bad example.
And I do agree. G1 has been rebooted several times. But none of them had the same charm as the originals, except maybe IDW's series. The others just seemed kinda not-G1 despite being a reboot thereof.

I agree, IDW has done a decent job (though I feel Prime really captured the essence even if they had limited abilities on cast size). I actually love the IDW comics.

G1 had an epic quality to it which is what makes it so endearing even now. That 'epicness' might be what you're missing. But that 'epicness' makes actual story telling hard. People complain when too much time gets devoted to character development and non combat story. Which is why they never did in any deep story telling 80's cartoons. Seriously... they thought we liked it that way (yay for being a child in the 70's and 80's).

I'm not trying to be a downer about it, sorry if it seems that way. I just feel that the grand scale that needs to be achieved is best done in the comics. Just my opinion.

Hmm. You may be right, actually.
The comics don't really have any budgetary constraints.
Just deadlines.
Interesting.

I'm kind of hoping the newest cartoon can capture some of the excitement. Only time will tell, though. They are pretty serious lately on trying to keep things on track (they actually have a whole thing with Rescue Bots to keep it in Prime's timeline, which means all the shows RB is currently running take place 2 to 3 years ago).
But I'm of the opinion not to expect too much, like I said, the epicness... it's all about the epicness! And at least the comics can deliver on that.

Now, make room in Soundwave's chest there for me. It's Friday, lets have a movie night in there.

ctrlFrequency wrote:I agree, IDW has done a decent job (though I feel Prime really captured the essence even if they had limited abilities on cast size). I actually love the IDW comics.

G1 had an epic quality to it which is what makes it so endearing even now. That 'epicness' might be what you're missing. But that 'epicness' makes actual story telling hard. People complain when too much time gets devoted to character development and non combat story. Which is why they never did in any deep story telling 80's cartoons. Seriously... they thought we liked it that way (yay for being a child in the 70's and 80's).

I'm not trying to be a downer about it, sorry if it seems that way. I just feel that the grand scale that needs to be achieved is best done in the comics. Just my opinion.

I totally agree with you on this, but I hope IDW eventually takes a route like DC. Recently DC has been publishing some of their graphic novels and big events as animated movies. Flashpoint is my favorite so far that they have released, came out exactly a year ago.

I would love to see some of the stories from Autocracy, Monstrosity, AHM, MTMTE, and/or RiD animated into a movie still using that flush animation as in the comics.

I've always said that Hasbro should make animated movies off the IDW stuff. Though I would avoid All Hail Megatron like the deadly plagues. I consider it the worst (though I hear the costa run went pretty bad as well...)

In terms of the original question, does it matter? Everything still draws reference from G1, and do it without insulting intelligence. Afterall G1 itself wasn't the best by any stretch of the world. Though the memories it made have obviously inspired many.

Transformers ... a series about robots that CHANGE from one form to another ... a fanbase filled with fans that oppose change.

Oh the irony ...

I don't get the meme...

Also technically is beast wars G3?

ZeroWolf wrote:I don't get the meme...

Also technically is beast wars G3?

I'm pretty sure Beast Wars is considered "G2"

I love change, Burn. Which is why I never get behind the G1 revival.

There's the constant... the core of the story... the core of the characters. But over time the story changes and the characters change, but there must be something familiar there.
I've enjoyed the characters that changed the most over the years but were able to hold on to that 'something' that makes them that character. The Decepticons are especially guilty of change, making them so much more loved (by me).

All hail Starscream.

ctrlFrequency wrote:I love change, Burn. Which is why I never get behind the G1 revival.

There's the constant... the core of the story... the core of the characters. But over time the story changes and the characters change, but there must be something familiar there.
I've enjoyed the characters that changed the most over the years but were able to hold on to that 'something' that makes them that character. The Decepticons are especially guilty of change, making them so much more loved (by me).

All hail Starscream.

I thought the addition of the DJD to the IDW universe was a great idea. They bring about a whole new level of brutality.

John Stamoist wrote:

ctrlFrequency wrote:I love change, Burn. Which is why I never get behind the G1 revival.

There's the constant... the core of the story... the core of the characters. But over time the story changes and the characters change, but there must be something familiar there.
I've enjoyed the characters that changed the most over the years but were able to hold on to that 'something' that makes them that character. The Decepticons are especially guilty of change, making them so much more loved (by me).

All hail Starscream.

I thought the addition of the DJD to the IDW universe was a great idea. They bring about a whole new level of brutality.

The DJD is an excellent addition. I hope they develop them more. But they make a great evil presence. I don't want to say to replace the Decepticons as a whole... since they are Decepticons, technically, but they do fit the vacancy nicely as the bad guys.

ive thought about something like this.

first off, remaster the audio. keep dialogue the same, but update sound effects where necessary. redo the animation from scratch, something like cell shading would be nice. extend the action scenes and make them more dynamic. that would be perfect.

this of course would only happen if i found a magic lamp, but hey a guy can dream

ctrlFrequency wrote:But they did reboot G1. Over and over and over and over and over and over. What you're suggesting is what has been happening over the decades. Many have taken the Autobots vs the Decepticons story and rebooted it (most recent was Transformers: Prime).

Exactly. G1 is history. And I mean that in a good way. If they tried to do a Neo G1 show with a lot of the same elements as the original, even if done really competently, it could never match the magic the original series had. A good comparison would be original Gundam to Gundam SEED. Gundam SEED took a lot of elements and basic plotlines for the first half of the show from the original series(though it did have more than a few divergences), but was overall met with a resounding kinda meh by fans. Why? Well, fans had more or less seen it all before, and it didn't engage fans the same way the original Gundam did. The second half was better received, because it introduced a lot of new ideas and plot points that didn't mirror the original Gundam as much.

Another thing about G1 is that it will always be there, and with streaming services, the internet, and DVD's in print, pretty easily accessible. Even if a new Transformers fan was introduced to the franchise through Energon, the Bay movies, Beast Wars, Rescue Bots, etc., they can always go back to G1 and discover for themselves the origins of many concepts that were introduced through whatever series they were familiar with. I think that's a whole lot more fun than trying to tell it all again.

Actually, G1 was never jossed by Hasbro, there still Comics about G1 Universe, and WFC series was obviously inspired by classic series.

Also, I'm not sure is reviving G1 cartoon is a good idea.

John Stamoist wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I don't get the meme...

Also technically is beast wars G3?

I'm pretty sure Beast Wars is considered "G2"

No, it's not. Beast Wars is Beast Wars. It has some G1 tie-ins, but it's its own series.

John Stamoist wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I don't get the meme...

Also technically is beast wars G3?

I'm pretty sure Beast Wars is considered "G2"

I'm pretty sure G2 is considered "G2"

Sabrblade wrote:

John Stamoist wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I don't get the meme...

Also technically is beast wars G3?

I'm pretty sure Beast Wars is considered "G2"

I'm pretty sure G2 is considered "G2"

Wouldn't Beast Wars Technically be it's own generation? Because technically in the beast wars cannon there's been at least a Social generation's separation between the events of beast war and the events of G1. And yes I know transformers can live a looooooooong time, but the point stands.

Actually my comment was more tongue in cheek, going by the fact that generation 2 was an attempt to relaunch the toyline, couldn't Beast Wars (and Machine Wars) be seen as "generation 3". Though this approach sees every new continuity as a new generation.

All the known generations in chronological order:

1. Generation 1 (1984-1992)

2. Generation 2 (1992-1995)

3. The Beast Era (1996-2001)

4. The Unicron Trilogy (2002-2006)

5. From 2007 onward, it's hard to tell where the fifth one ends and where the sixth one begins, or even if the fifth one has even come to its end yet, since we've been going from 2007 to the present with movie after movie plus additional series on the side of and in between each of them, such as Animated, Universe, Generations (which itself has undergone various phases on its own), Power Core Combiners, Prime First Edition, Prime Robots in Disguise, Prime Beast Hunters, and soon the upcoming new Robots in Disguise line in 2015.

My theory does become a problem these days when multiple lines are launched

We don't really use the whole "Generations" thing anymore. It's more clumped together by universe and/or series. IE, Beast Era, Movie Universe, Aligned, Unicron Trilogy, etc. etc.