#look i love quintessa's design so much

[transingthoseformers]

I was thinking about hatchlings in the Bayverse, and I just really adore the concept of a Prime and a Lord High Protector being the only ones able to reproduce. Others are born through the Allspark.

I also like to think there's a special location for the LHP to deposit their clutch, and the different clutches are all at different stages of incubation. I'm torn between many small clutches or a few large clutches. Maybe it changes due to environmental concerns?

As for why only a Prime and a LHP are fertile, who knows? There are after all animals in which only the leading couple reproduce. Or maybe there's some sort of special coding or spark frequency that can only occur between a Prime and a LHP. I like the idea it doesn't have to be the Prime bonded to the LHP to sire a clutch. It just needs to be a Prime.

So for example, all fertile pairings:

OP+Megatron, SP+Megatron, The Fallen+Megatron.

Sorry for the word vomit!

Okay that's pretty cool, because yeah! We see that in nature again and again, but I'm gonna borrow an idea off of eusocial insects (specifically bees) and suggest that in this scenario it's a three sex system like bees!

Also the "many small clutches vs a few big ones" question could definitely vary with environmental concerns such as resources—like logically speaking you'd only be able to accomplish a smaller clutch with less resources, the Fallen really should've thought that out better like now that I think of it blowing up the sun is one of those plans that don't make a lot of sense as that would just. Wreck the entire solar system both light, heat, and gravity wise, aaaand you you're getting word vomit. There's also the factor of it being in response to the population, many small clutches over a period of time would be a slow and steady introduction to the population, but if say a pretty big die off happened (like a damn war), it'd make sense that if there's a biological thing to compensate for that it WILL.

And the special location thing would have interesting societal consequences as I wonder if mecha would be able to remember like. Uh what should I call ittttt... Fuck it it's the Nest now. A few might be able to remember it, and I am unsure how long the would stay in it after hatching (after all, I think in ROTF and DSOTM the process is pretty interrupted) but the longer the sparklings stay, the more likely they are to remember it as an adult.

Though we have to consider how while in bayverse they're arguably one of the more biological examples of cybertronians we see perhaps, they are somewhat confirmed to have been built. But! The method we see the "Creators" using in AoE seems to me like a "cyberform the planet, plant a species, move on, rinse and repeat" which supports a hypothesis that they definitely would leave a method of reproduction or two behind. Yes, I'm on the tfwiki for their page and it seems like they were technoorganic (and might be inspired by the g1 Quintessons. Quintessa claims she was the creator, but from what I can see this might've been a lie and she might have simply been one of the Quintessons who came back and wanted to play god)

... which now that I realize it, maybe the Creators had not intended to leave the Allspark behind? Because the more I think about it, the more it reminds me of one of the tools you'd get in one of those evolution simulator games— use the Allspark device to create a few starting individuals, take it with you, leave them to use other means of reproduction to spread, and leave to go find another planet. Except, with the cybertronians, they dropped one of the cubes and never found it.

Actually since I'm on the tfwiki itself I'm gonna see if it has an alternative reasoning for the eggs, because so far Occam's razor is telling me sexual reproduction is the most logical answer. nOPE! NO EXPLANATION. Meaning we get free reign. Might I also suggest, as for why we see them in ROTF so quickly, that these eggs can be put into stasis, just like all the other mecha?

[bambifornia]

huuUOOoLRgGghh fiinnne I can't stay away from you all

i bring more autobot!swindle. plus my attempt at writing his backstory

disclaimer : most of the stuff below isn't canon i just wrote this for fun. if u guys wanna make ur own swindle backstories i invite yall to do so :D we will make our own swindle content

swindle came online during cybertron's early years of the age of expansion. the autobots (with their goal to expand cybertron's empire) engineered a set of bots who would serve cybertron as its intergalactic merchants, programmed to be ambitious bots who sought profit. they also came with bigger processors (for storing transactions and whatnot) and versatile frames (so they could withstand organic climates)

shortly after coming online, swindle was assigned a teacher (another merchant) who'd pass down the knowledge of the trade. swindle did his best to keep up with his lessons

as a student, swindle was determined and clever. as a bot, though...eughh...

- he had less of a filter, and didn't know how to keep a poker face

- his little new England accent used to be a lot thicker (think earthspark swindle)

- very friendly, had a lot of amicas back in the day (he was definitely the "I know a bot" guy). it was a struggle for him to keep quiet

- loved hands on activities, hated sitting still

- kept a journal detailing his intergalactic trips. tried to doodle any organics he found interesting

- LOVED shiny stuff. he was like a crow lmao

- his sharp glossa would sometimes get his aft beat

- despite being a chatterbox, he wasn't as suave back then. he'd often get himself in awkward situations, which he'd try to talk himself out of the embarrassment but he'd end up digging a deeper hole for himself

- petty king. also kinda nosy and had a thing for gossip

- loved pranking, and teased the bots he liked

once he was ready, swindle was given a ship and assigned a trading post (as a starting point). from that point, swindle was a rootin tootin merchant and nothing bad ever happened to him again :D...

...

until the quintessa skirmishes

the age of expansion ended with border disputes between cybertron and quintessa. multiple skirmishes sproutted along the border, and while swindle didn't fight in them, he was certainly caught in the crossfire. swindle ended up with a broken ship, a looted inventory, and a bungled up frame. he had to return to cybertron for repairs

back on cybertron, swindle finds a planet wildly different from the one he knows. tensions between autobots and decepticons are rising, and the banks aren't holding up that great. swindle finds himself in a tight spot (financially speaking) since he still has to deal with his losses from quintessa. unable to go back to his actual merchant job, swindle resorts to taking odd jobs to keep himself afloat (yes, even stealing)

when the war breaks out, swindle gets drafted into the front lines (a decision that still baffles him to this day). since he's not much of a fighter, the autobots have swindle work as a spy, ordering him to smuggle weapons out of decepticon servos...

in future hindsight, that was a poor decision

---

wrapping it up here because i don't want this post to get too long LMAO but I still have more ideas for him if yall are interested. just know that this is not the end of swindle lore

ALSO I finally came up with autobot!swindle designations :D I've narrowed it down to 3 and I need help deciding. it's either between

quickdime - cuz. you know. he's always looking to make a quick buck

treasury - his subspace acts like a treasury if you kinda think about it

fortune - idk it sounds cute. besides fortune tends to "favor the bold and clever"

if u made it this far then congrats. thank u for listening to me yap. have a bonus doodle

[1craig2craig]

Noo, don't strangle Straight Oliver, he did nothing wrong 😭

I personally like the Bayverse movies; yes, I am very aware that the characterization of some of the characters wasn't good (I'm looking at you Wheelie, Skids and Mudflap) (and most of the human characters were terribly annoying). Can't agree with you when it comes to Optimus tho, I think his characterization really fit the overall vibe of the movies (Bayverse Optimus is actually one of my favorite incarnations of Optimus tbh).

There is one particular reason why I'll always prefer Bayverse to Knightverse – it's not G1 accurate. We finally got to see something new and interesting rather than the same designs recycled like usual. They made the bold decision to COMPLETELY ignore G1 designs when it comes to some characters and I absolutely love it. The designs are probably my favorite thing about Bayverse (although I kinda wish the Decepticons were more colorful). I also really like the use of underutilized characters (like Crosshairs, I love him so much goddamnit).

And if we ignore some of Michael Bay's not-so-great writing, the plot of the movies is really good with a lot of interesting plot points, like the whole thing with Quintessa, the pillars from DOTM, Transformers being on Earth long before the events of the first movie or Sentinel working with Megatron (DOTM was so fucking great oh my god), to name a few.

But I understand why some people don't like it, you have to look past all the things it did wrong to see the things it did right, it's really an acquired taste, haha.

I'm pretty sure there were more Bayformers movies planned and I'm honestly pretty sad we didn't get to see them. I mean, they could've been great (like DOTM) for all we know :[

...and, you know, the majority of people say that the movie was terrible and that it was the worst one from the Bayverse movies, which I might add are already not highly praised by the fans, but that is simply not true. See, it explained a lot of stuff about the Primes, the Matrix, and the Allspark, it set the groundwork for the next three movies, and it introduced a whole lot of new characters, some of which play important roles in the other movies, very gnarly. A lot of people criticize it for the cringeworthy writing that Michael Bay utilizes. However, it has spawned a lot of memorable scenes like 'I am directly below the enemy scrotum' or 'Give me your face', which became memes that are beloved by the fanbase, truly radical! The movie has great CGI, and the designs of the Transformers are like nothing you've ever seen before; it's an action-packed cinematic masterpiece, absolutely groovy. Yet another amazing movie from the amazing Michael Bay, I'd say it's his very best movie!

I rewatched ROTF before making this, it's actually not as bad as I remember it. It's pretty good actually :]

[baebeyza]

Rating evil Primes

Note: Talking about the shows + movies Gotta rate them evil versions of our homeboy Prime, worst to best, say GO!

6. Armada Nemesis Prime

This dude was sexy and feral and so damn threatening, but sadly he was part of an episode that said "we got five new toys to promote, lets add this filler episode that contributes absolutely nothing to the plot except give some characters new paint!"

Nemesis Prime didn't even make sense, like I guess he was Sideways the whole time or just a toy of Sideways???

But they never explained why Sideways would do any of this or how?

What was the point except "new toy" indeed.

Also

What the fuck is wrong with your fucking neck, why is your head so far off your body, are you a giraffe???

5. TFP Nemesis Prime

How can I give this dude a good rating, it's just a suit??? No character of its own, just Silas controlling it.

It was a nice episode but this Nemesis Prime just wasn't a character. Only reason I put it above Armada is that its existence is actually plot-relevant.

Though it could have been any robot or mobile suit, it didn't need to look like Prime.

4. Bayverse Nemesis Prime

He is sexy and I love the whole Quintessa idea, but they just didn't go into any depth with this man, a fucking disappointment.

On paper this whole concept is still damn dope tho - I especially love the face colouring and the fact that this Nemesis Prime isn't a clone or something, it IS Prime! Just brainwashed!

Lets appreciate how it happened:

Hehe, bitchslap-

3. RiD01 Scourge/ Car Robots Black Convoy

The accident love child of Optimus and Megatron, Black Convoy comes as an evil Prime clone who is relevant to the plot, is badass, has agency and handsome to boot!

Babe even tried to betray Megatron, that is always a good quality to have! :D

His bromance with Dolrailer was pretty nice to watch too ~

Yeah, he is a good evil boy and he'd be even more epic if he wasn't in a kids show

2. Prime Wars Trilogy Rodimus Cron

Never said this is only about evil Optimus Primes-

Rodimus Cron deserves a high place on this list because he caused me massive amounts of internal pain by killing people when I knew full well that the normal Roddy would never do any of it-

His design was epic (except for that beard?), he was strong, badass and damn I even liked his dynamic with Overlord. Just one massive asshole serial killer and his short lil possessed babu, whats not to love? :3

1. Beast Wars II Black Lio Convoy

This evil copy is in one episode only, but damn- he got so much class, sass and personality! More than all these other evil Prime's combined.

I mean just look at him - he's flirting with Lio Convoy, holding that flower!

Babe just said "fuck you, I'm taking over with my honey sweet mouth" and tried to fuck everything up, whats not to love???

Dude even got some evil rubs from Starscream of all people-

Really wished they did more with him but damn, he left such a big impression!

And for good reason - he's the original evil Prime copy :D ~

[kimsgoeun]

muses and fcs i wanna use. lmk if you’re interested! 

fcs i wanna use

adeline rudolph

aisha dee

aldis hodge

amanda seyfried

anna diop

antonia thomas

ashley madekwe

brenda song

choi sooyoung

hwang in-yeop

jamie chung

jessica henwick

ji chang wook

john kim

jurnee smollett

kang han na

kang tae oh

kim do yeon

kim tae ri

krysten ritter

lana condor

lee da hee

lee do-hyun

lee pace

lee sun bin

lupita nyong’o

melissa o’neil

mena massoud

michael trevino

ni ni

okamoto tao

park bo young

park so dam

park yoo na

quintessa swindell

rachel hilson

rahul kohli

raymond ablack

rebecca ferguson

samara weaving

song kang

tahirah sharif

timothy olyphant

van veronica ngo

yoo in na

yoon so hee

muses i wanna use (some are more written out than others due to newness lol - down for other plots not listed)

-alisha murphy; 38; fc: billie piper

general practitioner at a small town practice; sweet; married to her job and will drop everything to help someone; surrounds her office/home with different plants; doesn’t really have time for romance but loves love; gives all the advice and never takes her own

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-charlotte kwan; 30; fc: jung eun-chae

medical resident; sarcastic/dry humor; straightforward; will stand up for herself and others; slightly competitive; has a good work-life balance

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3 

-chester “chess” mao; 52; fc: lucy liu

works for a supernatural verse if wanted (shapeshifter and/or immortal being)

oddball; works random jobs to have some cash but otherwise lives comfortably (by her standards); likes to help strangers and people in a bind; observant; likes to travel to random/obscure places; isn’t very serious; can sometimes talk in circles rather than getting to the point; loves cats; can be petty when provoked

inspo: phoebe buffay (friends), nick miller (new girl)

plot idea: 1, 2, 3, 4

-cordelia lee; 38; fc: song ji hyo* (alt. park bo young)

works for a supernatural verse if wanted (vampire or magical abilities)

astronomer; lived against her family’s expectations; fell in love at a young age but lost them to unfortunate circumstances; mostly a “spinster” due to it; finds comfort in the nighttime; goes camping; soft

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-evelyn wan; 31; fc: go bo-gyeol

interior designer; usually on the quieter side unless she’s talking about her work; type of person to be in love with their best friend and never say anything; homebody; also doesn’t sleep because she overworks herself

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-harmony rosales; 26; fc: cierra ramirez

got married too young and is now going through a horrible divorce; ex is an asshole; loves loves, so super sad about her marriage failing; also a marriage counselor; cares about everyone and everything; comes off sophisticated, but is a mess; likes to surround herself with pretty things

plot ideas: 1, 2

-isabelle wollf; 51; fc: rachel weisz

professor of biology and drama; lives in santa cruz; science nerd; goes to play, concerts, and art galleries; comes from money but doesn’t seem like it; disorganized teacher; tends to go on tangents when lecturing/speaking; was in one serious relationship set up by their families

plot ideas: 1, 2

-katharine goodwin; 42; fc: rosamund pike

money launderer; conwoman; pretend heiress essentially; likes to live lavishly; manipulative; will be cold/curt if she doesn’t know them/doesn’t like them; fiercely loyal to people she cares about; willing to get her hands dirty, but prefers not to; doesn’t have family ties

inspo: rio (good girls), mazikeen (lucifer), emily thorne (revenge)

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4

-kayla driscoll; 41; fc: rose byrne

art curator; moved away from her family in australia for her job; paints in her free time; middle child of two sisters; makes bad choices when she’s interested in someone; ignores red flags all the time; always gives people the benefit of the doubt; constantly gives people a second chance

plot ideas: 1, 2

-kim joo won; 31; fc: choi sooyoung

works for a supernatural verse if wanted (fallen angel or immortal being)

enjoys antagonizing people; flirty; doesn’t think about boundaries most of the time; likes having stupid fun; has a difficult time opening up emotionally to others; collects art, clothes, and jewelry; made her money through investments and owning property

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4

-lucinda “lucy” dyer; 46; fc: amy adams

bad at communication; uses physical intimacy as a distraction; black sheep/ostracized from her family; works at a book store; passed law school/exam but decided against her career; smokes and drinks a little too much; witty; comes off standoffish; pretends to not care; lonely; doesn’t know how to ask for help

inspo: fiona gallagher (shamless), camille preaker (sharp objects), jessica jones (jessica jones)

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-marlow mao; 40; fc: elodie yung

family made their wealth through shady means; sold out her father’s criminal activity and had to “runaway” essentially; artist; sells her work under a pseudonym; lives in one of those rich, beach towns; personable but private; doesn’t let people know about her past; worried/concerned about her family/her father’s connection’s finding her

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4

-natasha chung; 29; fc: shin se-kyung

event planner for upscale events; temperamental; difficult in relationships (trust issues, jealously, not emotionally available enough, indecisive); doesn’t necessarily trust people in general because her social status/family wealth; can be a tad immature at times personally; badass at work; high-end taste

plot ideas: 1, 2

-quentin dae; 25; fc: nam joo hyuk* (alt. lee young hwa, lee do-hyun)

actual nice guy; carpentry and repairs are his thing; very much a quiet nerd growing up; looks like he has it together, but does not; will highkey freak out and worry during inconveniences; rarely crushes on people and tends to like the same person for long periods of times; is very bad at flirting

plot ideas: 1, 2

-rosaline perkins; 29; fc: elizabeth lail 

architect at a big international firm; moved to paris for a job; found out she was pregnant after a one night stand; didn’t bother finding the bio dad before the move; decided with family support to keep her baby; can either be working in paris or has moved back to wherever else

plot ideas: 1, 2

-sun hee “sunny” park; 29; fc: lee sung-kyung

script supervisor; had a childhood best friend (and crush) that moved away without warning; feels like she’s surrounded by idiots a majority of the time; loves her job but hates it for dealing with people; has worked in the industry for nearly 10 years; super organized; slight control freak; social interactions exhaust her

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

-tara hwan; 49; fc: sandra oh

baker; owns a bakery shop in the city; very confident in herself and her abilities; comes across scary but is surprisingly sweet; likes to end her day with a glass of wine and trash tv; constantly thinking of new baking ideas/designs; doesn’t put up with rudeness or entitled people

plot ideas: 1, 2

-tinsley porters; 28; fc: jodie comer* (alt. adelaide kane, chloe bridges)

doesn’t stick to a job more than a year; like adventure/traveling; gets restless easily; immature at times; child at heart; can be reckless; believes in soulmates; follows treat others the way they’re treating you; avoids problems and serious situations/conversations; orphaned at 3 years old; believer in found families

inspo: peter pan (peter pan)

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-winona renwick; 30; fc: poppy drayton* (alt. jenna coleman, amber stevens)

aspiring chef; spent a majority of her time taking care of her father (widowed and an alcoholic) when her mom passed away; lost her mom in her early teenage years; decided to move away for college to live her own life; worked 3 jobs until she found a steady income after graduating; doesn’t know how to do healthy relationships due to her dad; doesn’t want to have to rely on anyone for help or be a burden; passionate when it comes to cooking

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3 

[wardencommanderrodimiss]

thoughts on TF5: The Last Knight

spoilers, obviously

in a word: incoherent.

THINGS I LIKED:

Hot Rod. I was wary when I discovered that my man was not bright orange, nor did he have flame decals, but I should never have doubted my capacity to love the shit out of Hot Rod/Rodimus in any and all iterations because...I loved him. I loved his fucking stupid ass accent. I was pretty much constantly giggling at it. I was delighted every time he was on screen. He wasn’t on screen enough. I love him god I love him so much

Izabella was a delight, as were the baby Dinobots, so the scenes with them together set off every maternal instinct I didn’t know I had. Too much cute. And Squeaks, Squeaks was beyond adorable too. So much cute.

The point after Squeaks takes out the turret when Hot Rod just picks him up and is holding him for a couple brief seconds in the background.

Crosshairs, god I forgot how good he is. Of all the movie-introduced bots, man, Crosshairs is great. I can’t really describe how much I like him and how badass he looks doing anything ever.

A surprising amount of continuity - not, like, within the plot or anything, but I was really surprised to see Agent Simmons reappear, along with Lennox, considering the kind of “soft reboot” that TF4 seemed to do. And the one brief reference to Sam, that was fucking funny. I could’ve gone my life without remembering Wheelie, though. 

The several scenes where the bots are just doing shit like fighting each other or god knows what in the background while the actual scene is happening in front.

ASSORTED THOUGHTS WITH LITTLE QUALITY VALUE ASSIGNED TO THEM:

At the beginning and end of TF4 I was like “I bet it’s Quintessons” and I was right but god at what cost.

okay actually though I did like Quintessa’s design and voice. I’m iffy on her actual role in the plot and what she does and that but like, design-wise, cool.

I can’t believe they copped “Earth is Unicron” from TFPrime. I can’t believe that’s where we’re going with this.

They keep escalating the conflict so much that I’m pretty sure next movie they’ve got to actually blow up Earth. Like. Calm down. 

Oh yeah they did fucking blow up the moon that’s a thing we did

Honestly though I do see a lot of potential in the “Earth as a ravaged dystopia”. Most TF series kind of balk at doing heavy damage to Earth - the comics right now are the one example I can think of otherwise - but there would be so much to play with in having the TFs irreparably fundamentally change life as we know it, not just for their handful of human friends, but for everyone. Permanent consequences for humanity would be a really interesting turn. So naturally they don’t really do that much with it but man there’s potential and I really do like that Earth was kind of half wrecked at the outset and while life goes on, it’s fucked.

THE BAD:

plot what plot there’s no plot here LOOK AN EXPLOSION

didn’t Barricade die

why is Megatron called Megatron again wasn’t he Galvatron last movie? 

look, even having Cybertron so close in Earth’s orbit would have gravitationally fucked everything beyond repair. what’s happening to the tides now that we have no moon and this giant metal shitball planet parked right next to us

as I said in last bullet point of last section, there’s so much that could’ve been done with this and they did none of it

what the fuck were those names for the ‘cons that Megatron got free. like jesus fuck they weren’t even trying. terrible. absolutely terrible.

the cinematography was mostly trash. there were a couple shots I liked but we did not need that many close-ups on Marky-Mark’s face.

I DON’T EVEN KNOW:

I lowkey highkey fuck it I’m going for broke here - highkey ship Hot Rod and Vivian. If we have to have a heterosexual hating-each-other-and-bitter-sarcasm-to-love-interests romantic plot, at least give it to me in human/bot form because I am trash for human/bot ships. 

No seriously I’m not joking with you about this ship. I’m here for it. There were two parts in the end when you hear Hot Rod specifically asking where Vivian is, first when the humans all look like they’re jumping off and leaving the bots to fight alone, and then when the core that they’re in starts falling and everyone is flailing about in weightlessness. I’m pretty sure he calls her “my mademoiselle” at least once which is hilarious he’s trying to hard to be a pretentious fuck. What a loser. I love him. But no seriously and then at the end when she and Cade are falling and Hot Rod goes “I’ll save you” like I’m here for this. I’m going to singlehandedly make this a thing. I’m gonna do it. 

[stlplaybox]

Top 10 Transformers of 2016

What a year 2016 was. However you may feel about the momentous events of the year, there’s one common, resounding sentiment across the Transformers community : 2016 was an amazing year for Transformers.

From official to third party there were many wonderful surprises that catered to the diverse pockets of the fandom. In its anniversary year, we saw Beast Wars get its deserved place in the Masterpiece line. Fans of comic fiction saw characters from the canonical More than Meets the Eye to the War Within receive loving representations in toy form.

Significantly the mainline Transformer toy line Titan Returns built on the momentum of Combiner Wars and elevated our expectations of what could be achieved with mass market deluxe, voyager and leader class figures. Cheap and hollow they may be but the engineering and playability of these releases captivated fans with their fun factor. The Masterpiece line underwent a newfound visual aesthetic that has divided some in the Masterpiece collecting community but no one can deny that Takara continue to engineer the hell out of these toys in a way no third party has come close to.

Even transforming relatives felt the love this year. GoBots received love in the Machine Robo line with 6 visually commanding releases while Diabattles unleashed an epic entry on the transforming toy collector community.

It’s with that tough context that I set out to try and name my top 10 Transformers of the 2016. Never has a limitation felt so unjust that I feel like a Quintesson handing out verdicts from my ivory tower on Quintessa. Firstly, a shout out to toys I failed to open last year. I expect some of you to be really loved in 2017.

Some Honorable Mentions:

Maketoys Pandinus was an event of the year. Unpacking it, beholding it’s beautifully sculpted glory, was nothing short of breathtaking.

Maketoys Striker Manus has yet to depart the coffee table. It’s not just his fun factor that keeps him there but also the freshness that he offers to an increasingly Masterpiece focused fandom.

MMC Impactor has been a long time coming. Perfect in every way except his transformation, he’s been a coffee table regular.

LG Springer was a repaint of one of the all-time great moulds from the Takara / Hasbro stable. It wasn't the last repaint that I derided then loved in 2016.  

In a regular theme of 2016, I underestimated Takara to my own peril. MP Hot Rod delivered cleverness and fun in untold amounts. So sure was I of disappointment that I only ordered one but after one play through, I went crawling back for seconds.

Gravity Builder delivered the perfect Devastator. Great in terms of scale but each and every individual bot was a beauty in their own right. So QC issues and fierce competition keeps it from the top 10 of 2016 but my eyes never stray far from its towering neo-G1 aesthetic.

I’ll have to end that list here otherwise, we’ll be here to 2018.

With its visceral yet heroic form, Vulcan was the culmination of Planet X’s cumulative learnings across their Fall of Cybertron Dinobots. Featuring some of the best implementations of light piping and transluscent plastics combined with awesomely articulated  alt mode and robot mode, the Dinobot leader was a mainstay of coffee table fiddlebots– a quality that proved decisive in this list.  

9. LG Blurr

Hasbro’s version of this wasn’t inspirational. It undermined the quality of the sculpt and engineering because it was so hard to look past that horrible palette of colours. Enter Takara and voila, Blurr blazed into the levels of stardom he deserved. Featuring amazing levels of articulation (wrist swivels!) and nuanced details like the raised crest on his head, you can’t mistake the labour of love poured into this figure. A figure I immediately want in my displays but also one I want on the coffee table, it’s fine affirmation of why I have that unhealthy habit of buying multiple TFs.

8. LG / Hasbro Wheelie

Hasbro or Takara, it doesn’t matter. A stunning example of what official engineering at its best can still offer. Not only does it have a beautiful head sculpt, an amazing transformation and two excellent alt modes – it has a cockpit play feature. All in the Legends size class! If coffee table occupancy is a critical metric of a figures success in 2016, Wheelie earns more points for being the perfect travelbot. He accompanied me on multiple holidays because his involved transformation and photogenic-self packs the right level of durability and fun.

Reported levels of varying QC on the Hasbro version are a shame as this, because this like Generations Springer, is one for the ages. Wheelie is what happens when ambition intersects with engineering brilliance.

7. Unite Warriors Technobots

Untie Warriors was an uneven set of releases that highlighted some of the problems with the design philosophies of the Combiner Wars era. Mixed with QC issues and the need for third party limbs, there was a certain readiness among the fandom to move on. 

Against this backdrop, the Unite Warriors Technobots were one of the last releases but they showcased what the line was truly capable of with a good coat of paint and loving remolding. Beautiful to the last bot and sexy to the last alt mode, the only thing that stopped this being higher was the need for the third party limbs to complete the combined mode.

6. Diabattles

This may not be a Transformer and after my retailer cancelled my preorder, I’d decided it’s something I could live without. But enter the age of enablement as the unbridled enthusiasm of pockets of the fandom (looking at @TFSquareOne here) along with a play with @itfdb’s copy forced me to reconsider. It may not be a huge figure but it’s amazing in the detail it packs and the playability it offers. Enabled by a sensationally focused engineering ethos, this figure dominated the coffee table for months and had me regularly diving into the accessories box under the sofa. Even now it’s gone into the non-TF transforming toy shelf but I’ve kept it at the front knowing full well I never want this to be far from reach.

5. Maketoys Cross Dimensions Despotron

Entering the business end of the top 10, I’ve come to realise I’m a neo-Gi collector at heart. I don’t want figures to be slavish to G1, I want them to be inspired by G1. As much as I adore Striker Manus, it is Despotron who shines. His sculpt oozes character in a way that reminds me of Animated and Transformers Prime toys. Every pose, every minutia of articulation all works towards accentuating the personality of our favourite Cybertronian despot. It’s a stunning achievement in design. Returning to my yardstick for success, this hasn’t left the coffee table since arrival. I expect it to stay there for awhile yet.

4. Titan Returns Triggerhappy

Having enjoyed many a top 10 of 2016 list, I can safely say, this guy is on most of them. And there’s a bloody damn good reason for that. Intuitive is a word that is often casually bandied around with transformations but I can’t think of a better bot that deserves that accolade. With its clever array of twists and folds, a beautifully shaped cockpit, incredible levels of articulation, two Takara compatible display stand ports, and  a stunning futuristic starfighter alt mode, Triggerhappy is an undisputed engineering marvel.

3. MMC Overlord

MMC Reformatted started the year strong with Impactor, Nova Prime and Turmoil and then went missing for the rest of the year until this. And boy was it worth it. Fiction has always been a key pillar of my love of Transformers and Overlord is a bold representation of what I consider a milestone in Transformers history: the Alex Milne and James Roberts era. 

Packing all the sadistic personality of his comic book persona and eye-catching sci-fi alt modes, MMC Overlord is a toy with presence and heft and three wonderful alt modes. His transformation suffers from some Maketoys moments but none of it is enough to displace this monstrous beast from a top spot.

2. SparkToys War Within Optimus Prime (Alpha Pack)

Every year, a few new players enter the booming third party market hoping to find their niche. Newcomer SparkToys promised love to the War Within series, one of the comics that brought me back to Transformers fold and ultimately Transformers collecting. Generally hesitant to try new third party companies until after its first release, SparkToys found the trigger to force me to break that rule. I won’t lie. I was a little apprehensive. I’ve seen too many train wrecks from newcomers. But my fears were misplaced. With it in hand, I couldn’t help but marvel at the stunning paint work and beautifully accurate sculpt that transported me to over a decade ago when I first fell in love with Transformers again. A love affair that’s led to the crazy collection I have today.

Not only that, but they dared to buck the trend. Their transformation is beautifully simple. There’s no near scrapes, tight squeezes or fiddily panels to navigate. While it may not have a Masterpiece moment, the simplicity is refreshing and ultimately FUN – a quality third party needs to aim for more rather than less. In its flawless futuristic alt mode or bulky heroic robot mode, it continues to dominate my coffee table much to my partner’s chagrin but it’s been there so long now, I’m convinced she’s starting to think of him as family.

1. Master Made Apollo

From their first release, Master Made have committed to their SD aesthetic: a unique niche that many a collector often does not have the budget, space or desire to invest in. Their penchant for quality and smart engineering has been undoubted from the start but what’s been amazing is how they continue to blow themselves away with each release.

Apollo was their last release of 2016 and it exemplified this. Unapologetic in its brilliance, Apollo exceeded my already high expectations. I remember the moments vividly as it was shared with good friend @itfdb. The moment you free it from its packaging and lift it out, the heft and quality of the sculpt bowls you over. All that before you begin transforming it, discovering its play features, and marvelling at its articulation! Apollo can be appreciated as a standalone figure but then you put him alongside some Iron Factory releases and you realise there will be no end to this figure’s playability.

He’s just been relocated from the coveted coffee table spot into my budding display setups but he’s right at the front because he’s a toy that I’ll never want far from my grubby little fingers. He’s what great toys should be and epitomises some of the key themes that I’m increasingly desire from my Transformers: inspired from G1, amazing articulation, fun transformations, beautiful sculpts and endless playability.

And that’s my 10.

We’ve just tiptoed into 2017 and it already promises to be another amazing year. One that may steamroll 2016 the way Megatron did Tarn and the DJD.

Hasbro and Takara look to be continuing their winning formula with a strong opening salvo in the form of Topspin, Quake and Krok. It’s also a movie year and I’m very curious how they’ll apply this design ethos to the movie line. The Masterpiece line will welcome more Beast Wars figures and will deliver arguably the most important release of the year: the despot we all want, but will it be the one we deserve?

Third party continue their onslaught of amazing product. MMC’s stable is ready to burst with Kultur on the cusp of release and IDW Megatron due later this year. Maketoys have MP Jazz and Targetmasters on the way whilst pushing the aesthetic and action figure boundaries of the franchise with their Cross Dimensions line. Master Made will turn their eye to their next project after they finish Scorponok and Fort Max. SparkToys will deliver the follow up to their War Within Optimus Prime with Megatron and maybe even the King. Having wow’d us with what they can do at Legends scale, Iron Factory will deliver combiners and a six changer.

Our wallets might not be excited about 2017 but we definitely have a lot to be excited about!

Thanks for reading, all the best for 2017 and here’s to another amazing year for TF collectors.

[bharatiyamedia-blog]

Kirsten ‘Kiwi’ Smith Interview – Hollywood Life

http://tinyurl.com/y4pm8thw ‘Trinkets’ is Netflix’s latest teen drama that it is advisable to be watching. HL spoke EXCLUSIVELY with EP and creator Kirsten ‘Kiwi’ Smith about taking her ebook to TV, casting the core trio, and extra. Trinkets is completely your subsequent summer season binge. The 10-episode sequence can be launched on June 14. The present follows three teenage ladies from completely different corners of the highschool cafeteria who discover themselves in the identical mandated Shoplifter’s Nameless assembly. From there, an unlikely friendship types. Elodie (Brianna Hildebrand), the grieving misfit; Moe (Kiana Madeira), the mysterious outsider; and Tabitha (Quintessa Swindell), the imperfect image of perfection, will discover energy in one another as they negotiate household points, highschool drama and the sophisticated dilemma of making an attempt to slot in whereas longing to interrupt out. The present relies on the younger grownup novel by Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, who serves as an govt producer. Kirsten is thought for writing hit teen motion pictures like 10 Issues I Hate About You and She’s The Man, in addition to Legally Blonde. HollywoodLife talked EXCLUSIVELY with Kiwi concerning the sequence, why teen dramas are so vital, and extra. Take a look at our full Q&A under. Trinkets relies in your younger grownup novel of the identical title. Had you at all times wished to adapt Trinkets right into a TV present?Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: It’s actually humorous as a result of the preliminary concept that I had after I got here up with the idea, I used to be pondering it could be an ideal film. After which I didn’t write it as a film and I ended up writing it as a novel, as a substitute of writing it as a screenplay. So it’s actually humorous that now it’s turn out to be a present, however I believe novels and TV are actually. They’re good kindred spirits as a result of they’re each type of in it for the lengthy haul, when it comes to exploring the characters in a manner {that a} film is extra finite. On the heart of the sequence is three ladies performed by Brianna, Kiana, and Quintessa. They’re all unimaginable of their roles, I’ve to say. As somebody who created these characters, what stood out about these three that made them good for every of their particular person roles?Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: Nicely, Quintessa has this depth to them. Quintessa is only a deep human. Along with being an attractive human, they’re additionally relatively very deep. So, they had been good for the position as a result of Tabitha has so many layers to unpack. Brianna as Elodie, she’s only a wonderful, sensible actor. Who was your favourite while you’re watching? Who had been you figuring out most with? I liked Tabitha. I assumed Brianna was nice and it’s such a distinct position than what we’ve seen together with her in Deadpool. So I liked her breaking out and doing somewhat bit one thing completely different. However simply as somebody who captivated me, I liked Tabitha from begin to end. I assumed the character was so layered, and Quintessa did an excellent job. This was their first main position.Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: That’s proper. Truly, Quintessa had been at my home for a buddy’s birthday celebration, they usually didn’t discuss to me. They stated they had been shy, after which later it was actually wild as a result of they only occurred to be there. Later after they had been forged, they had been like, “I’ve been at your own home earlier than,” and I used to be like, “What?” They stated like, “I didn’t actually need to hassle you.” I used to be like, “Why didn’t you say one thing?” So, I really feel prefer it was future that Quintessa was forged as a result of we had been in one another’s orbit fairly straight. Brianna, she’s so humorous, though she has to hold numerous grief within the position, however she has a lot comedian nuance and delicate comedian nuance, which I believe is simply nice. Kianna is a power of nature as Mo and he or she drives a lot together with her power that it was an instantaneous lock in seeing her as Mo. I’m the luckiest creator and producer and author alive, actually, to have the ability to have this group, and it extends all over the forged, actually. Odiseas [Georgiadis] is wonderful and Henry and Brandon. I really like Kat Crafty, who comes in the midst of the story as a love curiosity for Elodie and brings her personal music into it. I liked her as effectively. Do the primary 10 episodes full your ebook or does it go away it open for extra?Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: It covers numerous it. There are some things left within the ebook, a couple of completely different paths that we took within the present that left some characters behind from the ebook that we would pull into future tales if now we have the chance to take action. So that you’re undoubtedly contemplating a season 2? You undoubtedly have tales prepared to inform.Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: We’ve numerous tales to inform, so if we’re so lucky to get that, we’re armed and able to go. I can reside with these characters for a very long time. The ebook was written in 2013 and the present is debuting in 2019. Did you end up having to adapt to this period?Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: Oh my gosh, sure. All the things is sort of completely different. The core emotional journeys are the identical, and the writers that I collaborated with on the present, Amy and Emily, they had been very loving concerning the ebook and continued to, as we had been speaking concerning the season, would deliver up traces from the ebook after which episodes could be constructed round sure traces or moments from the ebook. So, they virtually held onto it as a textual content in a extremely candy far more than I did as a result of I used to be like, “Let’s break away and go forth” they usually’re like, “Nope, however wait, remembering your ebook, there’s this nice scene.” They might be bringing the copies of the ebook with a highlighted passage that may then be learn within the writers’ room. They’re simply unimaginable and really endearing. I believe it’s obtained a component of nostalgia that we’re making an attempt to make it as genuine as we probably can and in addition straddling the tone of actually severe points. Critical stuff is occurring, but it surely’s by no means in a very tremendous pitch black manner. We wished to be earnest and heat and have this sense that irrespective of how darkish it will get that the friendship goes to be the factor that saves them. Completely. As somebody who watched 10 Issues I Hate About You religiously, Larisa Oleynik is on this as effectively. Was this only a joyful coincidence? How did this come again?Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: That is all by design. It was. I stayed in contact together with her, after all, over time. She’s sensible and once we had been speaking about casting Shawn, it simply appeared so good to me to have somebody that was from a earlier era. She’s type of an icon with taking part in Alex Mack, too, and I simply love the concept that she could be then guiding these younger girls into serving to them get on their path. So, it appeared like a neat factor to me that I used to be actually excited to get her and I’m glad you loved that. I hope individuals discover that type of somewhat little bit of a enjoyable shout out and tie it collectively to her different work. That is your first foray into tv, proper? What was that like for you going from doing motion pictures to doing a 10-episode sequence?Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: I believe it’s identical to pondering in that longer kind. Happily, I had written a novel so I used to be type of pondering in longer kind, however my mind is unquestionably skilled to assume in a three-act construction, so it was actually nice to have the ability to work in partnership to construct out the season arc. Principally, once we first began speaking about it, we talked about it as an extended film with three acts after which we had all these built-in, little micro cliffhangers into it simply, even once we first began chatting about it. It’s a distinct muscle since you’re wanting to maintain issues going, whereas in a film you’re eager to tie issues up. So it’s type of like writing a really lengthy second act of a film as a result of then the screenplay, there’s three acts. It’s such as you’re writing an extended second act however you’re placing in numerous cliffhangers on the finish of episodes like novels. So, it felt like that to me. I’d been in a writers’ room very early in my profession with Karen, my longtime writing associate, and we’d been on workers of the sitcoms. I had a basic sense of how a writers’ room felt and regarded and in order that was good going into it. However actually constructing as much as, Amy and Emily and I type of crafted the overview of the season collectively. It was loopy, although, as a result of it’s simply with a film you’ll be able to chill in your underwear and take your time. With TV, there’s numerous aggressive deadlines that you must be very accountable and meet all of that as a result of it’s not simply you in your skivvies dreaming up a film. It’s lots of people concerned. In the event you had been to get a season 2, is there one other actor out of your motion pictures that you just want to seem on the present? Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: I believe it could be wonderful to have Andrew Keegan seem someplace. I believe it could be actually good. You’ve accomplished many nice motion pictures concerning the teen expertise. Why is it vital to proceed having teen dramas and looking out into the teenager expertise, particularly in right now’s world when there’s simply a lot TV content material and a lot on the market for younger adults?Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith: That is my favourite style. It actually at all times has been, most likely as a result of I began simply getting hooked on motion pictures after I was a young person. So I believe you type of stay in that state of old flame. The youngsters are our future and I believe it is a story that I like telling and these are pathways to a complete new era. I’m actually trying ahead to type of persevering with to have interaction and be impressed by the youthful era as a result of I need intergenerational communication to ramp up. I need to have the ability to continue learning from them in order that we are able to simply evolve into a greater course. However I actually assume additionally when it comes to the entire teen stuff on the market, I hope one of many issues that folks will like concerning the present is that it’s a half-hour present, which is generally like a comedy. However we’re extra of a drama with a view and little humorous bits right here and there. I really feel like I’m having a extremely juicy, simply digestible drama. That’s one thing that I admire in a world the place there’s numerous reveals which can be fairly lengthy. I’m excited. I hope individuals reply to that. We’re giving you a large number in a brief period of time. Source link

[baebeyza]

Bayverse ideas I found cool

What it says on the tin :D ~ Not saying that all these are ideas are wasted in Bayverse btw, some worked just fine within the movies, some could have used more depth and some are indeed wasted potential, SAY GO!

1. Jazz as second in command of the Autobots 2. Decepticon Police Car Barricade 3. Mikaela, just, everything about her 4. Girl Gestalt Arcee, Chromia and Elita 5. Humans and Autobots working together - like, seriously! I would have enjoyed these movies so much more if instead of following Sam, we had Lennox as the main character and had scene his team bonding with the Autobots as they work together to catch Decepticons. I would have loved to see that happen, but alas, we just have the concept and one like from Epps when he says "they killed my friends" while referring to the Autobots in Dark of the Moon 6. Old man Jetfire 7. The whole Sentinel storyline - would have made a far better story if they had given it more to time, but I really liked the idea and what we got! 8. Humanity turning against the Autobots - this is something I always assumed would happen in the shows in which the Bots are common knowledge - the good thing about this is how it leads to good character arcs and drama for the Autobots, mainly Optimus Prime. His arc (carried over from the end of Dark of the Moon) in Age of Extinction was good! Liked it a lot and it made me love this version of Optimus! Not as well written as it could have been, but the idea is great and they did a good-enough job with it. 9. Laserbeak as a cocky assassin who can shapeshift - great stuff, great stuff :D 10. Shockwave and his giant pet sandworm 11. Optimus starting the 4th movie as broken as he was 12. Having a dad as the Protagonist and drawing clear parallels to him and Prime - I found it cute and they actually stuck with this in the final :D Also, Optimus and Cade is maybe my favourite dynamic any version of Prime has with a human 13. Cade being fucking badass and doing what he does for the Autobots 14. Crosshairs, mostly his design - his trenchcoat looks so epic! <3 15. Lockdown, I liked his role in the 4th movie a lot 16. Megatron's whole plan to use the humans to make him a new body - nice plan pal 17. Quintessa 18. Optimus being brainwashed instead of Nemesis Prime being a clone - and being forced to turn against his family! Super angst source, too bad they didn't manage to make it good 19. The whole negotiation scene between Megs and Lennox was nice - I wish it had meant anything 20. The Dinobot babies