Why are you a Transformers fan?

[dirge]

Whilst I appreciate the fiction as representations of the toys - and it will often persuade me to buy a toy based on character (Sky-Byte was a great example), for me the engineering of the toys is what maintains my fascination with TFs.

For that reason I find (for example) Beast Machines a lesser line - as good as the show might be from a sci-fi POV, the Maximals really don't do much transforming. Most of them morph into quasi-animals, and in many cases (Nightscream, for example) are really badly engineered, with the various robot elements fitting together poorly if at all in beast mode.

There are some TF fictions which I love - G1 cartoon, Masterforce, RiD, Beast Wars - but ultimately the shows alone can't carry a toyline for me.

[Kyle]

2 have chosen Machine Men now...

[Pulse]

2 have chosen Machine Men now...

They were probably both Roller (One as himself & the second under a fake profile he signed up with )

[jaydisc]

Personally, I like public polls.

[Paulbot]

We can just ignore those Machine Men votes. I thought it fair to give people an option to choose none of the above. And there are some good things about Machine Men too but that's not what this topic's about.

Part of this was me wondering what would happen if the toyline stopped ala G1 again would people disappear. I think that eventually people would start to disappear without new toys.

If the comics/cartoons stopped though I don't think it would have as strong impact on fandom. For me, when the G1 comics ended back in 1991 I kept them going in my own imagination, same thing with G2, and even when Dreamwave abruptly ceased publishing. I could see my toy collecting going down to my old levels of roughly 10 a year or less again, but the TF universe(s) is as real to me as any other fictious universe and I don't think it would ever stop stirring my imagination.

[STL]

We can just ignore those Machine Men votes. I thought it fair to give people an option to choose none of the above.

Stop making me feel bad!

Part of this was me wondering what would happen if the toyline stopped ala G1 again would people disappear. I think that eventually people would start to disappear without new toys.

I agree. I'm sure though that I'd still be collecting on the secondary market, chasing better versions or extras of what I already have. It'd be a sad day if that ever eventuated again. I'm too old now to stop buying toys.

I do think I'd probably get back into collecting Marvel Legends and the like again if that did happen. I'd probably be more heavy into comics like I used to be and I'd very likely start collecting those Brave and transforming kits that the Japanese make. The engineering appeals a lot to me too these days.

I don't think it would ever stop stirring my imagination.

Same here. But you obvious need to write more often. Or at least start a thread telling us what's stirring in that mind o' yours. I'm trying to get some of it to paper, well, word document, too. It's pretty hard but I'm pretty sure w/ no toys to occupy me, I'd find time.

[dirge]

Speaking from experience...

Back in the day - I'm talking 1996-1996 here - when there was only a single online Transformer community in alt.toys.transformers - there wasn't really much for the fandom to digest. There were no online stores, and few toy dealers even bothered with Transformers. eBay wasn't around. The G2 line had wound down, BW wasn't announced straight away. There was no comic, no cartoon - and nothing new in that regard since 1987 anyway.

The fandom was strong enough, despite its size, that we would discuss/argue/debate old comics & cartoons. There would be discussions of toys & trading between ourselves. BW really launched the fandom to a new level, but even without it there was still a pulse.

If the plug was pulled tomorrow, I believe that our local fandom _is_ strong enough to continue, which in itself would maintain interest for a lot of us. Yeah we'd lose some numbers, but the fandom here is mature, and there's enough of who have invested time/love/effort into the hobby to an extent that we wouldn't just give it away.

[kup]

I am the type who would buy a toy knowing its crap just because I like the character. However if I don't like a character/universe that has a good toy(s), I will not buy it. The fictional representation is my mayor motivator when buying toys. For example, many of the Marvel UK Wrecker character toys are absolute crap like Whirll, Roadbuster (due to accessories) and Broadside but I will search and buy them because I liked their appeareance in the comics.

On a few occations however I will buy an appalingly bad toy despite a complete lack of a propper fictional representation. I will have no idea why and complain about how crap it is but for some unknown reason it will sing to me. Quickswitch for me was such a toy.

[Kyle]

I'm old enough now to appreciate what I already have. So if there's no more new cartoon, movie, comic or toy I believe I'll still continue to be a fan. More time to re-watch my DVDs, re-read my comics and play with my old toys.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Whilst I appreciate the fiction as representations of the toys - and it will often persuade me to buy a toy based on character (Sky-Byte was a great example), for me the engineering of the toys is what maintains my fascination with TFs.

For that reason I find (for example) Beast Machines a lesser line - as good as the show might be from a sci-fi POV, the Maximals really don't do much transforming. Most of them morph into quasi-animals, and in many cases (Nightscream, for example) are really badly engineered, with the various robot elements fitting together poorly if at all in beast mode.

There are some TF fictions which I love - G1 cartoon, Masterforce, RiD, Beast Wars - but ultimately the shows alone can't carry a toyline for me.

Thats about the same for me too. I do find that the story will make me buy a toy that I think is poor if they are a good character or different(hence my love for BM toys).

If it stopped tomorrow? I would still hang around, I have a strong reminescence (spelling?) gene in me. Yes, its a gene now! That would keep my interest up.