Transformers: War for Cybertron "The Transformers Timeline"

I hope they find a way of adding a version of beast wars to this timeline.

I agree, the AI should be better, but I also think they can add a little bit more for the AI to do (like dashing, ramming, etc.) If the AI were better at dodging, the game would be marginally more difficult. And would make it more like a show/movie where everybody's shooting but no one gets hurt! XD Anyway, assuming they dodge, they can, as someone mentioned, find cover farther back, or be more agressive and run up for a melee as well (kamikaze of sorts, either to help their remaining friends, go out bright, or because they're cornered and no where else to go, etc.). And when only one is left (if the level allows), he might decide to attempt fleeing, and you could then chase after him if you wanted to. <insert epic car chase here> Not killing him might mean more enemies when you next see him. (like the huge hexagonally plated floor map before you approach Soundwave in Kaon in WfC....some enemies there run away or lead you on for a bit - that could be expanded upon for the premise idea here)

But all of this is sort of intricately woven for the AI system as a whole. (IE not everything can be implemented one part at a time, but relies on other factors in the system to function effectively, basically a good chunk is all-or-nothing, effort wise. If you can't debug it before time runs out you lose a good chunk of improvement) So hopefully they have enough time and manpower budgeted to improve it. (and knowledge and engine ability. I have no idea what Kismet or whatever else is actually capable of AI-wise, let alone in the new Unreal3.)

So yes. AI better = I hope it's on the list, regardless of whether generic enemies transform. I just don't see them taking that completely out...Like if you meet a boss, like Starscream, assuming he transforms, then his AI will have to deal with that in addition to everything else, while none of the other AI have to. It doesn't provide a good subject for bug testing anyway, if only one or two enemies use the system...not only would it make it harder to spot bugs, but there becomes a battle with how important they really are. On the one hand, it's only one enemy. On the other, it's a boss, so it's supposed to challenge you, not sit there transforming confusedly and whatnot. Of course, this isn't much of a problem if they script the bosses in stages like WfC.
Example:
Boss fires at you in robot mode until 60% energy remains. Cutscene. Boss alternates shooting and bringing in additional forces , until 20% energy remains. Cutscene. Boss brings in additional forces, and runs. After defeating additional forces, you chase after them, chase scene ensues and you have to take them out in alt. mode due to the speed/chase.

I won't get into my opinion of the flawed boss system in general in games (with uber health) to make up for lack of good AI.
Oh, what a wonderful place the world would be with great AI.

remnant114 wrote:I hope they find a way of adding a version of beast wars to this timeline.

if they do then it will be well after the battles on earth and the final wars on Cybertron. Beast Wars starts well in the future and goes back to earth pre G1/volcano eruption, and then it jumps back forwards to post final war where everything went pete-tong (all wrong if you don't get the reference)

so the incusion will have to be very well after the original settings..

remember trukk not monkey lol (sorry... i had to)

sounds like they're starting to draw ideas from Beast Wars, nice.

Baneblade wrote:

remnant114 wrote:I hope they find a way of adding a version of beast wars to this timeline.

if they do then it will be well after the battles on earth and the final wars on Cybertron. Beast Wars starts well in the future and goes back to earth pre G1/volcano eruption, and then it jumps back forwards to post final war where everything went pete-tong (all wrong if you don't get the reference)

so the incusion will have to be very well after the original settings..

remember trukk not monkey lol (sorry... i had to)

I second this. If they wanted to hit BW, then they'd have to fast forward ALOT! Pretty much drop this story and go to where Megatron is about to steal the golden disk. They'd probably use vehicle modes though because they didn't get their animal forms 'till they hit earth. But HMS would probably drop the timelines comic and give them animal forms before they hit earth with what they're doing with the Dinobots. Then I'd kinda be dissapointed. Other than that, they'd have to focus on the future, which I kinda doubt they will.

wigglez323 wrote:

Baneblade wrote:

remnant114 wrote:I hope they find a way of adding a version of beast wars to this timeline.

if they do then it will be well after the battles on earth and the final wars on Cybertron. Beast Wars starts well in the future and goes back to earth pre G1/volcano eruption, and then it jumps back forwards to post final war where everything went pete-tong (all wrong if you don't get the reference)

so the incusion will have to be very well after the original settings..

remember trukk not monkey lol (sorry... i had to)

I second this. If they wanted to hit BW, then they'd have to fast forward ALOT! Pretty much drop this story and go to where Megatron is about to steal the golden disk. They'd probably use vehicle modes though because they didn't get their animal forms 'till they hit earth. But HMS would probably drop the timelines comic and give them animal forms before they hit earth with what they're doing with the Dinobots. Then I'd kinda be dissapointed. Other than that, they'd have to focus on the future, which I kinda doubt they will.

yup - they can't really focus on a future version and ignore everything gone before that would just well... it would rub the wrong way

That whole "Journey" part of the timeline is written in an ambiguous, non-spoiler way, yet those of us who have already read Exiles know very well that they do NOT go to Earth (yet).

Also, the "Fall of Cybertron" part seems to indicate that this is a rewrite of just chapters 38-39 of Exodus.

Baneblade wrote:

wigglez323 wrote:

Baneblade wrote:

remnant114 wrote:I hope they find a way of adding a version of beast wars to this timeline.

if they do then it will be well after the battles on earth and the final wars on Cybertron. Beast Wars starts well in the future and goes back to earth pre G1/volcano eruption, and then it jumps back forwards to post final war where everything went pete-tong (all wrong if you don't get the reference)

so the incusion will have to be very well after the original settings..

remember trukk not monkey lol (sorry... i had to)

I second this. If they wanted to hit BW, then they'd have to fast forward ALOT! Pretty much drop this story and go to where Megatron is about to steal the golden disk. They'd probably use vehicle modes though because they didn't get their animal forms 'till they hit earth. But HMS would probably drop the timelines comic and give them animal forms before they hit earth with what they're doing with the Dinobots. Then I'd kinda be dissapointed. Other than that, they'd have to focus on the future, which I kinda doubt they will.

yup - they can't really focus on a future version and ignore everything gone before that would just well... it would rub the wrong way

So, in other words, it's best to just leave Beast Wars as the great story that it is and not try to work a different version of it into this mess.

Well since you put it that way, yes.

G1 has been chopped, cut, sliced, pasted, blended....i think what's been arrived with IDW and the story that was Fall...i think that g1 has hit that grittier darker level that transformers was needing....beastwars is a good story arc too...i think they would have to do the same chop cut rebuild that would confuse even more...

gameinformer has posted the latest article in their month long Transformers: Fall of Cybertron coverage. This article titled "True To Form: Safeguarding The Transformers License" focuses on intellectual property development and licensing. High Moon game director Matt Tieger and Hasbro vice president of intellectual property development Aaron Archer cover the following:

• On the creation of the first game
• On game narrative
• On managing Transformers lore
• On scripting a game
• On creative limits
• On designing characters
• On the War for Cybertron toys
• On Dinobots

Click here to read the full article of gameinfromer.

It may seem strange for a toy brand to have its own encyclopedia of chronicled narrative. Properties like Barbie, Hot Wheels, or LEGO aren’t known for their large wealth of fiction, for example. One of the first toy properties to pioneer the concept of branching off into additional media was Hasbro’s Transformers. Since the franchise was first introduced into the world in 1984, the brand has constantly been reinvented for different markets and audiences.

High Moon’s Transformers: War for Cybertron was significant in that it translated the core Transformer’s concepts into an entertaining game. Few licenses are able to safely make this transition. We sat down to talk with High Moon game director Matt Tieger and Hasbro vice president of intellectual property development Aaron Archer about how they avoided traditional licensing pitfalls and what they learned that will make the upcoming Transformer: Fall of Cybertron even better.

Another great update. Keep'em coming, Game Informer.

this looks awesome... now where's my energon goodie?

You think Gameinformer will announce multiplayer in their month long reveal? The only thing I got for it was in the magazine and that wasn't enough.

I just read part of the Game Informer article about FOC where they mention that in one level of the game, Optimus Prime awakens Metroplex to help fight the Decepticons, and that he is suposed to be at least 3 to 4 times the size of Omega Supreme from the last game. can't wait to see!!

SoulReaverprime wrote:I just read part of the Game Informer article about FOC where they mention that in one level of the game, Optimus Prime awakens Metroplex to help fight the Decepticons, and that he is suposed to be at least 3 to 4 times the size of Omega Supreme from the last game. can't wait to see!!

I guess that means he's too big to face Trypticon this time around.

SoulReaverprime wrote:I just read part of the Game Informer article about FOC where they mention that in one level of the game, Optimus Prime awakens Metroplex to help fight the Decepticons, and that he is suposed to be at least 3 to 4 times the size of Omega Supreme from the last game. can't wait to see!!

Well, based on how we had to fight Tryps and OS, that might be who we have to fight as Bruticus. Because Tryps and OS we like 5 or 6 times our size in the first game.

Has anyone read the Gameinformer magazine yet? I havn't seen anyone mention the fact it confirms Vortex as a playable character, has a description of his level and pictures of both his robot and alt modes.

Starscream GaGa wrote:Has anyone read the Gameinformer magazine yet? I havn't seen anyone mention the fact it confirms Vortex as a playable character, has a description of his level and pictures of both his robot and alt modes.

Yeah, Vortex is mentioned somewhere in this thread.

Starscream GaGa wrote:Has anyone read the Gameinformer magazine yet? I havn't seen anyone mention the fact it confirms Vortex as a playable character, has a description of his level and pictures of both his robot and alt modes.

Like 20 or so pages back.

You guys might be interested in checking out the wiki page I'm writing for Fall of Cybertron here: http://www.giantbomb.com/transformers-fall-of-cybertron/61-36634/

I wrote the previous games wiki page here: http://www.giantbomb.com/transformers-war-for-cybertron/61-29405/ as well and am yet again collecting all the information I can for the new one along with all the art and screenshots.

The art and screens for Fall of Cyb will all be posted here: http://www.giantbomb.com/transformers-fall-of-cybertron/61-36634/images/ Game is looking freaking bad ass already, can not wait to play it.

I'm really hoping and I might even pray that they make FoC take after WFC's gameplay style/button controls/functionality, rather than DOTM's completely fubar and stupid gameplay style.

Obviously I want it to be a bit improved, but DOTM was NOT an improvement over WFC when it came to movement, guns, or anything gameplay-wise (disregarding the story and characters completely, just the nuts and bolts of the game).

It was a large, staggering stumble backwards that made you feel like everybody walked around at the speed of Omega Supreme and had the aim of Waspinator :v WFC was smooth, fluid, and almost effortless, despite little finicky things here and there.

Never played movie tie in games....i don't rate them at all.

Fall of Cybertron Game informer coverage - Creating The Soundscape Of Transformers

gameinformer has posted their latest Transformers: Fall of Cybertron article, "Creating The Soundscape Of Transformers". As the name implies this article focuses on the audio work that has went into the game. The article includes three videos, one of which features the legendary voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, recording some of his lines. Click here to view the article and watch the videos.

When we decided upon Transformers as a cover story, I started asking around the office looking for ideas for our video coverage. Without a second of hesitation, Game Informer's own Jeff Cork demanded to learn how the team at High Moon Studios recreates the iconic sounds of the transformations. We are happy to say that we captured the process on video along with many other glimpses inside the creation of audio for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Three separate videos each capture an element of the audio work being done for the game, from the fun of foley sound capturing, to working with the inimitable voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen.

Additionally, gameinformer will be doing a Q&A session with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron game director Matt Tieger on their next podcast. If you have a question you would like to submit you can do so by clicking here.

That Grimlock transformation sound is siiiiiiiiiick! Can't stop watching it.

gameinformer's latest Transformers: Fall of Cybertron article, "Larger Than Life: Designing Fall of Cybertron's Set Piece Moments", takes a look at interactive storytelling within the highly anticipated sequel. Click here to read the full article and view a short video on the subject.

Two competing storytelling philosophies exist in video games. One states that a game should be filled with a series of scripted cutscenes that narrate an overarching plot. The other believes a game should never take control away from a player, thereby creating a kind of simulated fiction where the player is mobile actor. In Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, developer High Moon is aiming for this second approach. It hopes to offer players some measure of control even during scripted sequences. But telling a story this way is no simple task.

Using interactive sequences and allowing players to discover the plot on their own is a lot more work than the traditional approach. “I feel like if you can tell a story in-game then that’s how you should do it,” says High Moon cinematics designer Neil Carter. “One of my favorite games is Out of This World. I loved how they seamlessly integrated cutscenes with gameplay. We’re trying to do more stuff like that in Fall of Cybertron.”

So they're just taking the Half-Life approach. Always in control, even in what amounts to cutscenes. A ton of FPS games are doing this nowadays.

So far I'm liking what they're doing with this game. The cut-scenes didn't really bother me in WFC, but it's always nice touch to have the player in more control. And the story flows more nicely.

I just hope there will be some special moves to do. In WFC I was cursing because I couldn't do a barrel-roll while the enemies could. I recall them saying in one video something about "Bumblebee doing back-flips", but before I celebrate I want to see a proof.

Oh, and if all levels are like that, I'm not sure if my brother will get to play the game at all.

Shadowman wrote:So they're just taking the Half-Life approach. Always in control, even in what amounts to cutscenes. A ton of FPS games are doing this nowadays.

Assassin's Creed does that too.

@Sabrblade thx! I found the video and got a screen cap of Perceptor


........
As for the BW
I remember Beast Wars, I remember they were on the Ark and they were dwarfed by their G1 ancestors on the Ark. Maximals and Predacons are roughly human size according to Wiki they reformatted for energy consumption.

I like BW chars but wouldd not want a Beast Wars game where we abandon G1 for a convoluted storyline.

I'd like for the size guys to maybe be unlockable guest stars via time travel back.
- Optimal Optimus
- TM2 Megatron

If they would make a separate BW game on Earth it would be a smaller scale stealth game in the jungle which I dont think would sell as well.

or anyone that fits size wise but my problem is the majority of them don't.



Maximal Physiology
http://www.bwint.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2284

I could dig a BW game. As long as it played like the TF Armada game. Because I don't really seeing it working like WFC or anything like that. Or maybe a BW RPG game where you create your character that starts from the stasis pods but weren't they all used up in the Gathering?

wigglez323 wrote:I could dig a BW game.

They made two Beast Wars games.

Shadowman wrote:

wigglez323 wrote:I could dig a BW game.

They made two Beast Wars games.

Three counting the N64 version.

four if you count the Japanese Game Boy Color game.

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

wigglez323 wrote:I could dig a BW game.

They made two Beast Wars games.

Three counting the N64 version.

You shouldn't. That's like counting the 360 and PS3 versions of War for Cybertron as separate games.

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

wigglez323 wrote:I could dig a BW game.

They made two Beast Wars games.

Three counting the N64 version.

You shouldn't. That's like counting the 360 and PS3 versions of War for Cybertron as separate games.

Not when the N64 version has different features and characters. Plus a a richer story mode and a different set of endings. The two may be similar, but they have several notable differences that make make them nowhere near as identical to each other as the 360 and PS3 version WFC are.

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

wigglez323 wrote:I could dig a BW game.

They made two Beast Wars games.

Three counting the N64 version.

You shouldn't. That's like counting the 360 and PS3 versions of War for Cybertron as separate games.

Not when the N64 version has different features and characters. Plus a a richer story mode and a different set of endings. The two may be similar, but they have several notable differences that make make them nowhere near as identical to each other as the 360 and PS3 version WFC are.

I only ever played one of the two (PS1, I think) but how did the gameplay differ? A slightly different playable cast and different special features does not a new game make. They're just two versions of the same game. Like the console and DS versions of WfC.

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

wigglez323 wrote:I could dig a BW game.

They made two Beast Wars games.

Three counting the N64 version.

You shouldn't. That's like counting the 360 and PS3 versions of War for Cybertron as separate games.

Not when the N64 version has different features and characters. Plus a a richer story mode and a different set of endings. The two may be similar, but they have several notable differences that make make them nowhere near as identical to each other as the 360 and PS3 version WFC are.

I only ever played one of the two (PS1, I think) but how did the gameplay differ? A slightly different playable cast and different special features does not a new game make. They're just two versions of the same game. Like the console and DS versions of WfC.

Optimus Prime comes back half way through the game looks around at the zoo animals unleashed says WTF! grabs Ironhide and wastes everyone.

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

wigglez323 wrote:I could dig a BW game.

They made two Beast Wars games.

Three counting the N64 version.

You shouldn't. That's like counting the 360 and PS3 versions of War for Cybertron as separate games.

Not when the N64 version has different features and characters. Plus a a richer story mode and a different set of endings. The two may be similar, but they have several notable differences that make make them nowhere near as identical to each other as the 360 and PS3 version WFC are.

I only ever played one of the two (PS1, I think) but how did the gameplay differ? A slightly different playable cast and different special features does not a new game make. They're just two versions of the same game. Like the console and DS versions of WfC.

The PS1 game is an over-the-head fighter, wile the N64 game is a sideview formatted fighter. The PS1 game assigns characters per match, while the N64 game lets the players choose whoever they want to be. The N64 game includes Megatron X in its story mode, where he is absent in the PS1 game. The PS1 game has a vague ending for story mode, while the N64 game has many diverse and very detailed textual endings for each playable character in story mode.

Though, the console and DS versions of WFC is a good comparison to this, as the DS WFC games are also very different from the console versions of WFC.

I wish I could play that BW fighting game, that looked sweet with the Transmetals and such...

MINDVVIPE wrote:I wish I could play that BW fighting game, that looked sweet with the Transmetals and such...

Transmetals was fine enough, not exactly Game of the Year materials but it's fine. The other game was, by all accounts, terrible. They didn't even get the cast of BW to reprise their roles in it, despite reusing clips from the show as FMVs.

MINDVVIPE wrote:I wish I could play that BW fighting game, that looked sweet with the Transmetals and such...

Eh, it wasn't that great. Not overtly terrible, but still subpar at best. IGN gave both versions a 3.0 out of 10.

Sabrblade wrote:

MINDVVIPE wrote:I wish I could play that BW fighting game, that looked sweet with the Transmetals and such...

Eh, it wasn't that great. Not overtly terrible, but still subpar at best. IGN gave both versions a 3.0 out of 10.

Thats too bad, I'd love to have a current fighting game with TF characters, the character list could be huge, haha. Kinda off topic, but does anyone remember this 2D fighting game with robots? The art style was like marvel/capcom (lots of bright colours), and the robots were not just bipedal. I used to play it in the arcade when I was little and it was just so awesome, haha.

gameinformer editors Matt Miller and Ben Reeves recently sat down for a roundtable discussion with High Moon Studios game director Matt Tieger and lead programmer Andrew Zaferakis regarding the highly anticipated Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Click here to view the nearly 35 minute video.

We've been highlighting key areas of the new game during our month of coverage on Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, but in this video discussion we hope to address some of your remaining questions. Game Informer editors Matt Miller and Ben Reeves sat down in the conference room at High Moon Studios with game director Matt Tieger and lead programmer Andrew Zaferakis for a casual conversation about the most interesting gameplay additions to Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. If you have any remaining questions, feel free to submit them for the upcoming Transformers podcast with Matt Tieger. We hope you enjoy the video, and we apologize on behalf of Ben Reeves for the bad jokes.

Whoa. We knew Metroplex was big, but two and half times the size of Omega Supreme is just massive!

This sounds so good. I love how they are dealing with Grimlock and his rage>transform deal. I was kind of worried of it being just a little boring if you could just be in alt mode all the time with him... kudos, highmoon. Got a tiny bit of mechlab customization too it sounds, always great. I think colours are going to be sort of limited again, since he mentioned how the colours are the factions(?).

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

wigglez323 wrote:I could dig a BW game.

They made two Beast Wars games.

Three counting the N64 version.

You shouldn't. That's like counting the 360 and PS3 versions of War for Cybertron as separate games.

Not when the N64 version has different features and characters. Plus a a richer story mode and a different set of endings. The two may be similar, but they have several notable differences that make make them nowhere near as identical to each other as the 360 and PS3 version WFC are.

I only ever played one of the two (PS1, I think) but how did the gameplay differ? A slightly different playable cast and different special features does not a new game make. They're just two versions of the same game. Like the console and DS versions of WfC.

The PS1 game is an over-the-head fighter, wile the N64 game is a sideview formatted fighter. The PS1 game assigns characters per match, while the N64 game lets the players choose whoever they want to be. The N64 game includes Megatron X in its story mode, where he is absent in the PS1 game. The PS1 game has a vague ending for story mode, while the N64 game and many diverse and very detailed textual endings for each playable character in story mode.

Though, the console and DS versions of WFC is a good comparison to this, as the DS WFC games are also very different from the console versions of WFC.

I know there were BW games. But I didn't like them back then either. Arena fighter games aren't really my thing

gameinformer's Transformers: Fall of Cybertron coverage continues with a special edition podcast with High Moon Studios Matt Tieger. Click here to listen.

As part of our month-long online coverage of our cover story for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, we proudly present this special edition podcast. Listen in as Fall of Cybertron's game director Matt Tieger answers Game Informer reader questions about High Moon's upcoming robotic blockbuster.

Jeese, a podcast? I got enough at the roundtable. It's either more game footage/reveals or I'm not interested... getting tired of hearing how great its going to be when I have to wait a year to actually play it.

Before I hear the podcast, I gotta ask why is Jazz's mough all cracked apart?

He looks like ROTF Alice during mid-transformation.

Sabrblade wrote:Before I hear the podcast, I gotta ask why is Jazz's mough all cracked apart?

He looks like ROTF Alice during mid-transformation.

You wanna know how he got these scars? His father was...a drinker...and a fiend.

In all seriousness, I guess their going for the more robotic-looking facial design.

Shadowman wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Before I hear the podcast, I gotta ask why is Jazz's mough all cracked apart?

He looks like ROTF Alice during mid-transformation.

You wanna know how he got these scars? His father was...a drinker...and a fiend.

In all seriousness, I guess their going for the more robotic-looking facial design.

Haha, yea they seemed to have gone a little overboard with the detail in the face in a wierd way. But i'm sure its so that when you normally view Jazz in game where your not super close up, it'll help distinguish parts of his face better in the blur of action.