Now that You have finished FOC (spoilers)

So, obviously this is a thread for those that have finished FOC. What I would like to chat about is not reviews, but bits you thought were awesome/lame, plot discussion, how it links up to WFC/G1 (Prime?) and now that the main group of Autobots and Decepticons have left Cybertron, what do you think/would like the next step to be?

Spoilers allowed because this thread is for those who have finished.

I was replaying Optimus' level the other day and as it led up to reviving Metroplex, I thought if they hadn't revealed Metroplex in the advertsing/box art, how much more impressive that moment would have been. Think about it, although I knew it was coming and had guessed that was I was going to find him soon (with the self moving corridors), although the lead up was exciting, I would have probably majorly squee-ed like a little girl if I hadn't known that Metro was in there until I pulled that lever. Bruticus is given away in the first level, so they could advertise him fine, but now I kind of wished that Metroplex hadn't been revealed until you play the game.

Also, watching the Good Game review of the game, Bajo commented that he thought the next game will be on Earth. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't want another game on Earth unless I am playing with G1 characters, most of the other TF games are on Earth. WFC was pretty. FOC made Cybertron look like a real planet! I would like to see more of Cybertron as there hasn't been all that much done really.

I think the 3rd game could look at other groups, perhaps Magnus/Hotrod and pals getting aorund on Cybertron and I would really like to see a story based on Fortress Maximus as he and his pacifist chums try to leave for Nebulos (assuming they hadn't already escaped that is, after all Optimus' group was the last shuttle). For enemies, we could have perhaps Straxus, or of course Scorponok. Although I'd be up for a game based on Nebulos for example, despite any games based on other groups missing the big name Transformers such as Megatron and Optimus, which I would see as a problem that would probably affect sales. Which then brings us to the point that with so much focus on Op and Megs, it hinders the characterisation somewhat. I'd bet that is a game based on Fort Max and Scorp did come out, 90% of the reviewers would whinge and moan about how they can't play as Optimus (despite playing as him in most of the other games...)

If we went for an Ultra Magnus story, Shockwave could be main bad guy. Plus at the end we didn't see what happens to Grimlock and the dinobots. I'd be all up for a game focused entirely on the Dinobots! :D

So, what do you guys n gals think?

After the second trailer, I quickly realized that they were becoming way too spoilery so I decided to avoid them at all costs. Naturally, I couldn't avoid all the Metroplex advertisement but I avoided enough within not to be too spoiled but I do agree, most of the game best bits seems to be shown in the trailers killing the surprise!

I agree that a third game should, and can be, set on Cybertron.
This is a "Cybertron" themed series. If it really is meant to be part of the TFPrime Universe, any game set on Earth SHOULD be a TFPrime game.

But as with any evacuation during conflict, there are people left behind. Normandy, Singapore, Saigon... just to name a few Human evacuations - people were left behind, and the conquerors weren't evacuating. In WFC/FOC, the Decepticons didn't seem too interested in leaving Cybertron... they were just wanting to stop the Autobots from leaving, or chase after the ones that did.

The premise for a third game could then be on the Autobots left behind on a world covered in Decepticons. I just don't know if a Transformers game could be marketable enough without the core (public-known) characters of Optimus, Megatron, Soundwave, Bumblebee.
Then again, with the big marketing push of "Grimlock" in the second game, the Dinobots (who appear to have been left behind) could well be the focus of a third game.... uniting the Autobot stragglers that are now running and hiding from Shockwave and his legions. We could see a whole lot of other subgroups introduced, or even an offworld trip to Nebulos. (or even one evacuating Autobot ship lands on Nebulos, with the Decepticon hunters following them... leading the "Masters" chapter of the conflict)

There's so much story potential with this "remake" of Gen1. Yes, it is more a remake of Gen1 than a prelude to TFPrime.... more now with FOC than even WFC was.
Just like they do remakes of movies (like Total Recall that's out at the moment), why can't Hasbro just acknowledge that this is a Gen1 Remake (which could then use Classicverse toy designs) instead of trying vainly to shoehorn it into TFPrime and those toy designs.

Metroplex - I agree that it would have been a big OMG surprise in the game if it didn't end up being a marketing point of the game. I think with Grimlock and Bruticus in the game as other key marketing elements, they really could have left Metroplex as a big surprise. Imagine how awesome that would have been, playing out that chapter and suddenly having the massive Metroplex appear... it would have been like seeing the 1986 Movie - having Unicron transform at the end, and not even knowing he was a giant transformer. At least, that's how I felt back then, when I first saw it without knowing anything about the Movie or Unicron.
Fans need those big OMG moments to get excited over, not just hyped over. Have the hype of things like Grimlock and Bruticus, but leave something as a surprise.

Did anyone who saw packaging and trailers (or even toys) have any "surprises" in the game at all?
Between Hasbro and Highmoon, I think everything except the finer details of the plot were known. And the titles of the menu screen should have been "encrypted" as well.

The one surprise I guess I had was not seeing Ultra Magnus or Blaster in the game, since we have toys coming, and had Ultra Magnus in the DLC Multiplayer pack.
That was a bit of a red herring for me.

I was also surprised that the Dark Energon theme of WFC was non-existent in this one. Like, as if the Autobots had time to clean it all up during the "drop everything" evacuation.
And they even had time to build a facility to house and disassemble Trypticon.

The two different endings was... interesting. It forces you to play the last chapter twice, but still ends up the same (Megatron being stabbed by a sword). I guess the point was to accommodate both Autobot and Decepticon fans, in the climactic, key battle (a battle that never ended up happening in WFC - Optimus Vs Megatron).

Some of Megatron's words seemed wrong, even if you do brush it off as being part of his psychotic megalomania.
I know it was a plot device to turn Trypticon into the Nemesis (from the books), but Megatron's reasoning didn't make sense - saying it was punishment for failing. But the same thing happened to Megatron... he was defeated and required someone else to repair him, so why was it not acceptable to repair Trypticon?
If Trypticon was able to do so much damage in WFC, strategically it would be better to have him back to normal, which had a flight mode... It would make more sense to bring him back to life, terrorise the Autobots on the planet, then transform to his flight mode and chase after the Ark.
If "failure that requires someone to repair him", earns him punishment of "termination", then Megatron earned it as well.
Plus the whole speech before Metroplex thumped Megatron, blaming the death of Cybertron on Optimus... even though Megatron was the one who put Dark Energon in the core that would have destroyed the planet, as well as started the devastating war that would have left him with a smouldering husk of a planet.

Also... was I the only one who had trouble playing the opposing faction to the one I support? I'm an Autobot at heart, so didn't enjoy playing roles that had me defeating Autobot plans/strategies or even destroying them. I know it is only a game, but I didn't want to stop the energon carrier... or free Trypticon... or even chase down the Ark. I was enthusiastically invested in the Autobot chapters, but just couldn't enjoy the Decepticon chapters.
I guess it is just my "good guy" Autobot mindset.
I'm sure Decepticon fans probably felt the same when playing as Autobots to stop the Decepticons. It would have just felt wrong or treacherous.

I loved the ending where you are switching sides all the time. Maybe they could play on this and let you choose which side wins in a situation. Would starscream blow air raid out of the sky or would air raid evade and blow starscream out of the sky? You choose which character therefore who wins the battle.

Succeed with the energon carrier or blow it up? This has impact on the rest of the game.

I'd like the next game to be set on Earth. We've already had two games set on Cybertron and I think it's time to move on. Also, with all the references to Earth in FoC, having the next game set on Earth seems like the next logical step to me. I like Bajo's suggestion of having the next game set in the 1980s. That'd be neat. :D

I'd like the next game to maybe be like the Exiles novel. A bit of space bridge planet hopping. Visit Velocitron, Junkion... Well that's all I'm up to in the novel but you get the idea.

I really enjoyed the last level. Between the constantly switching sides and mass destruction it was alot of fun.

If they have to lead into TFPrime (by Hasbro's requirement), we already have a TFPrime game set on earth.
But if Hasbro finally concedes to allowing this be a remake of Gen1, then a game set on Earth with classicverse modes, would be great. A better seller than anything TFPrime could offer.
Hasbro have invested too much into this Aligned Continuity, so if they want this to lead into TFPrime, fans may prefer to see future games feature characters not in TFPrime, so that the game designers can have the creative freedom to make them "Gen1-ish" without Hasbro intervening/shoehorning it later.

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Originally Posted by griffin

But if Hasbro finally concedes to allowing this be a remake of Gen1, then a game set on Earth with classicverse modes, would be great. A better seller than anything TFPrime could offer.

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Oh wow, do I hope this happens. Hasbro's attempts to make the TFP and the WFC series 'work' as a cohesive, single story just reminds me of a kid trying to hammer a piece of puzzle into the wrong place. Especially seeing as Highmoon studios seem to have their own vision for their game series (god bless them), which they want to stick to.

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I'd like the next game to maybe be like the Exiles novel. A bit of space bridge planet hopping. Visit Velocitron, Junkion... Well that's all I'm up to in the novel but you get the idea.

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If there is another game, I reckon they will go with something like this. I guess the success of Prime and WFC games will be the ultimate determinant as to what happens next. If TFP gets big, they will probably convince Highmoon to produce a more TFP orientated game. If the FOC game does well enough, they'll probably leave Highmoon to their own devices, more or less.

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Originally Posted by Autocon

I loved the ending where you are switching sides all the time.

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Yeah that made for some really exciting game play. :D The unexpectedness of each switch made for a very fast paced feel. I'm also glad we got to see Jazz again. I wonder if he wound up surviving? everyone outside the ship seemed to get sucked into space at the end there, including Prime and Megs. Poor Bumblebee seems to have just floated away after he got shot.

Speaking of 'Bee, I have to say I was pretty let down by the "oh by the way, he can't talk now" comment at the beginning.
The conversational dialogue was one of the things I liked most about WFC. Bumblebee had a great, snappy personality, and now... he's been turned into the Bumblebee nobody likes. :(

Overall I really enjoyed FOC. In most ways it was a great improvement on WFC (Which I already liked).

The openness of the terrain was just great, no more feeling like you're being herded down a corridor. :)

One thing I miss from the original game is having a couple of team mates follow you around throughout an area. It would have been nice to have at least one of those levels in the game.

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Originally Posted by griffin

I was also surprised that the Dark Energon theme of WFC was non-existent in this one. Like, as if the Autobots had time to clean it all up during the "drop everything" evacuation.
And they even had time to build a facility to house and disassemble Trypticon.

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I didn't even think of this until I read your comment. Dark Energon seems to have fallen by the wayside, big time. Perhaps because of the Aligned Continuity.
Someone realised that when TFP to showed Dark Energon is Unicron's blood it suddenly doesn't make sense to have a video game where DE is being manufactured on a space station around Cybertron.

I remember that Soundwave mentions Dark energon as he is reviving Megatron. with a "Dark Energon infusion" and that was as far as it got mentioned.

I can't remember if Megatron orders trypticon to be terminated before or after his own death but it made sense to me at the time. The autobots are almost completely defeated and only hold one area left on all of cybertron. So Megatron has more than enough soldiers to finish them off (until he finds Metroplex) but what he doesn't have is a spaceship to rival the ark. And he has no idea how powerful the Ark, all he knows at that point is that the ark is BIG and ancient so he had to build something quickly that could match it.

Trypticon failed to beat a small group of autobots while Megatrons own failure was to Metroplex, a transformer hundreds times larger than himself AND Megatron wasn't even able to attempt an attack on Metroplex before he was squished.

Dark energon was being manufactured on an ancient space station from the golden age where they had technology beyond what they have in FOC. The dark energons presence on cybertron is easily explainable in that at some point the thirteen or even Primus would have battled Unicron at some point. And it is very likely you would find small amounts of energon on Unicron, although its a long dig down to him :-(

I like that they are slowly moving towards TFPrime. I can already see the similarities in some of the forms, most notably the vehicons and Shockwave. Megatron is looking a bit more like his TFPrime self too.

Personally I hope the next game shows us the transformers left behind AND the ark visiting the other planets as it did in the novels exodus/exiles. That way we could see some more Dinobots and ultra magnus+wreckers on cybertron and we would get to see the main characters battling on other worlds and collecting parts of an ancient sword :-)

Was just playing through Megaton's section again and had a little thought. When he is in the shuttle after blamming Starscream, as it's crashing, outside the window is a building with an Autobot symbol projected across the middle, it looks somewhat Fortress Maximus-y. I wonder....

And why doesn't Warpath have his turets syndrome again?