Should There Be Another Beast Series?

[GoktimusPrime]

One of the things I've had in my head ever since Beast Wars began was an idea where the Maximals/Autobots fought against the Predacons/Decepticons.

It was a lot like what we're about to see with the Power Core Combiners, but would have had the Beast characters as partners instead of Mini-Cons. A "G1" character was partnered with a "Beast" Character with the Beast Wars guys sacrificing their weapons/body parts to act as power-ups and armour for the G1 guys.

Advancing that idea though, you could have the four factions set up as four individual parties. The Autobots and the Maximals fight for good, but disagreeing about the methods used to defeat their enemies. The Decepticons and Predacons could fight for conquest and destruction, splitting into factions because of individual power-lusts.

The Decepticons would eventually overpower the Predacons, refusing to acknowledge the pretenders to the throne, and force them into sub-servience, defeating both Autobots and Maximals quite easily with their new power. Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal reconcile their differences and combine to form Primal Prime, and the unified Autobots/Maximals fight against the powered-up Decepticons.

Then further G1 fan-wanks could ensue by having Primal Prime need to find the sword of Star Sabre and the Magnus Hammer in order to defeat the combined form of both Megatrons (aka Galvtron/Gammatron)...

Okay, so I got a little ahead of myself. But the initial idea was always kinda cool to me.

That could only work if there was a continuity reboot. It wouldn't work if the new series tried to stay in-continuity with existing G1/G2/BW/BM canon because the Autobot and Decepticon factions were dissolved after Pax Cybertronia and the rise of the Maximals and Predacons.

Having Autobots/Decepticons vs. Maximals/Predacons would be akin to having the Republic/Separatists vs. Empire/Rebels at the same time! The Autobots became the Maximals and the Decepticons became the Predacons just as the Republic became the Empire and the Separatists (some of them) became the Rebellion. The fanboy in me would love to see Mace Windu go toe-to-toe with Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Maul, but canonically it's impossible.

But that's what toy fantasy play is for (and why I still love playing with my toys)... I frequently invent totally ridiculous (but fun (to me)) stories when I play with my toys, like this one! The story is complete bollocks, but damn it was fun to play out!

[Seraphim Prime]

That could only work if there was a continuity reboot. It wouldn't work if the new series tried to stay in-continuity with existing G1/G2/BW/BM canon because the Autobot and Decepticon factions were dissolved after Pax Cybertronia and the rise of the Maximals and Predacons.

Oh I know that in the G1 canon it would be impossible. But I wasn't necessarily proposing it need be in-continuity. I'm actually one of those who don't mind the alternate realities/reboots we get. It provides for some interesting stories and figure designs.

[GoktimusPrime]

It provides for some interesting stories and figure designs.

You can get this with in-continuity stories too. Either way I like both reboots and in-continuity stories (although I have a personal preference for in-continuity) -- I think one thing we can all agree on, regardless of canonicity, is that a story needs to be well written and interesting!

And toys... absolutely. Good toys will sell even with a crap story or even no story at all. Just look at Classics. Yeah I know that stories exist for them, but they're rare - and the toys sold like hotcakes regardless. Robots In Disguise in Australia is another example (arguably a better example since they don't have "pre-existing" marketing like Classics do from G1) -- RiD toys were flying off shelves here months before the TV show debuted.

[kup]

Classics do have a story - They are direct representations of G1 1980s characters as well as the many continuities in which these characters have appeared such as Sunbow, Marvel, DW, Botcon, IDW, etc.

Many people that bought them were attracted to the toys for this reason. Of course they are also very good toys all by themselves.

[GoktimusPrime]

Classics do have a story - They are direct representations of G1 1980s characters as well as the many continuities in which these characters have appeared such as Sunbow, Marvel, DW, Botcon, IDW, etc.

That's what I meant by "pre-existing marketing" and why RiD is probably a better example of toys selling really well (initially) without supporting fiction to market it. The toys were selling like crazy here long before the TV show ever aired on Australian TV.

[CryptiK]

I had a thought. I would like to see Beast Machines completely thrown out the window(it was crap compared to BW) and on there way back to cybertron they hit another time portal and are sent to G1 earth either after or during the G1 earth war in which we see Autobots and Maximals vs Decepticons and Predicons. I just want to see this happen so we can get Garry Chalk and Peter Cullen in the same show Prime and Primal that would be the greatest ever.

[MV75]

There has always been Beasts in Transfomers - Ever since G1!

However I do agree that it may not be a good idea to have the whole Transformers franchise once again dedicated to Beasts but there should be more variety in alt modes.

Robotic beasts yes.

The last major line of Beast toys was the Jungle Planet toys from Cybertron. And IMHO they were the worst of the Cybertron line, far too simple and/or hampered by their own gimmicks. Movie animals (Scorponok and Ravage) are also only useful in one mode. The Classics Dinobot however was a step back in the right direction, so was Device Label Ravage, and MP Grimlock of course. I'm happy for some beasts in the line up though.

Again, "realistic" vs robotic. You prefer robotic.

What needs to be done is to look at what g1 was again. Everyone had earthern vehicle/thing forms. Those that didn't (beasts), were robot like. But in a way they did have earthern forms, (dinobots, predacons), but were robotic. The beast tapes were beasts in robot mode.

[GoktimusPrime]

The problem with robotic beast modes is that... well... they're not beast modes! A robotic beast fails as a robot in disguise. When Transmetals first came out a lot of fans (particularly in Japan) were against the idea because they saw them as being poor robots in disguise, the core essence of what they considered Transformers should be. Hence why Japan's beast TFs had organic beast modes (with the exception of Cyber Beasts which were cybernetic, still different from Transmetals which were robotic beasts). Transmetals did come out in Japan as Beast Wars Metals but wasn't terribly successful.

Robotic beast modes are as inherently flawed as disguise alt modes as organic vehicle modes! Transform!

I would like to see Beast Machines completely thrown out the window

I agree. I don't hate Beast Machines, but the problem with its ending is that it boxed Transformers continuity into a position that is extremely difficult (nigh impossible?) to continue from without disregarding or undoing Beast Machines canon.

[MV75]

Oh yea, everyone hated the g1 dinobots and tapes. Insta-fail.

The dinobots had liberties as they were created by robots based upon extinct animals.

The tapes, well, their robot modes were "beasts".

But your mind is stuck in beast wars era, so it doesn't matter.

[Firestorm]

Current Poll Standings
More Beasts: 9
No Beasts: 8
Beasts and Vehicles: 13
Dont Care: 4

seems the opinion on beast-formers is split fairly evenly amongst the fanbase,
but many people seem to think beasts and vehicle transformers should be able to co-exist, and some of you just plain dont care ...

as to what people have been talking about lately i think robotic Beast modes are kinda lame (Dont get me wrong i love my masterpiece grimlock) as Gok said they arent exactly "Robots in Disguise" i didnt mind the transmetals and transmetal 2s even if they wernt fully organic beast modes but the "In Disguise" thing also depends on where they are, prehistoric earth with no other inteligent life around (Vok Excluded) having beast modes that are a little less realistic is ok, but if beast wars were based on presant day earth then having a cyborg cheetah or a blue hoverboarding monkey wouldnt be a very good disguise, anyway i'm begining to ramble so i'll just sumerize now
Robotic Beast Modes = Bad for disguise (and kinda boring for design)
Organic Beast Modes = Good For disguise (Except for the ENOURMOUS Wasps and Spiders) (and offer interesting designs)
Techno-Organic Beast Modes = Bad for disguise (but pretty interesting designs)

if they did another beast series i say it should be Organic Beasts like the first season of beast wars

heres a question for everyone who says they want beast-formers and vehicle-formers to be in the same series, wouldnt the beast-formers be much smaller than the vehicle-formers? how would they be able to work together the beast-formers would just get squished, it would be like Armada but with beast minicons