Quote Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime View Post
according to the Action Masters' original lore, after discovering that Nucleon stripped them of their ability to transform, the Action Masters modified/developed their weapons and vehicles as transformable partners.

At any rate, TFwiki states, "They display personalities of their own and are sometimes very highly skilled. However, their origin is largely unknown, as is their exact level of sentience."
So yeah... there just doesn't seem to be a definitive answer.
Yeah, no definitive answer, though the arguments you and Paulbot have made have certainly made me less certain of my assertion that they are like any other bot. I do remember that bit from Action Masters original lore now that you have mentioned it and it supports your argument well.



Another friend on my FB Transformatorium page left this about the AM animal partners:

Depending on your definition of sentience, it can commonly be agreed that is the ability to think subjectively. Therefore, as the beings in question could have served their "masters" because they chose to and not because of training (in particular learned helplessness) this would be a subjective thought. Something like the view of the individual where I only obey because I am told to, or I only associate with so-and-so for shelter/food would be more objective. Hence the individual would be prone to move on as soon as a better opportunity arises (yes, I know a lot of "sentient" humans exhibit these behaviours). But as they showed loyalty to the detriment of their own well-being demonstrates sentience...or complete insanity. But what's the difference I suppose. But yeah in a nut-shell, definitely as sentient as any other being that claims to be.

Which is kinda cool and takes the psychology of the whole thing into account and is a strong argument for them being fully actualized characters in their own right. And while it may enforce the 'they are fully sentient, not domesticated pets' argument (otherwise Gatoraider would go work for Rad instead if Rad offered him more energon goodies than Krok), it does unintentionally perhaps suggest that maybe they are loyal to their own detriment, not because of a fully developed personality, but because that is their programming, although that concept relies on a very high level of AI (which undoubtedly Cybertronian science is capable of).



On a purely whimsical level and taking a break from the logical arguments, I'd like to see them show up in the IDW comics - think it would be great to see Jackpot wandering round with Sights on his shoulder like some eccentric, and Krok's gang all sitting round chatting and throwing the odd tid-bit to Gatoraider. Kinda like Tyrannitron was portrayed (off panel) in the FP comic - I thought that was suitably humorous While I think they are fully sentient, and Gok thinks they just have AI, I think the most fun thing would be if they were pets