Transformers questions by newbies, and not-so-newbies

[canofwhoopass_87]

awww man. This is gona be a pain. Thanks for the help ss, appreciate it

[canofwhoopass_87]

Another followup question - I've got two G1 Red alert guns. One is a deep red and the other is lighter looking. Have I got a reissue here?

[GoktimusPrime]

?More pronounced photodegradation on the lighter looking gun?

[dirge]

What Gok said, although most likely the other way around. The darker one is likely "yellowed".

[canofwhoopass_87]

ooo an interesting theory. However the darker shaded red alert gun also comes with 3 missiles and the sprue, all of which are also a darker red as well. The colour shading looks uniform and doesn't appear to be "yellowed". Looks cool though. Think I'll keep em

Thanks for the help fellas

[snaketales]

Why are Powermasters called Godmasters in Masterforce? Is it just a translation thing? What does "god" mean in Japanese?

And another Masterforce question... why is Buster referred to as "he" in the subtitles but is plainly drawn (to me) as a woman (See below, image from TFwiki)?

[GoktimusPrime]

Toywise Godmasters and Powermasters are the same (other than some variations with some figures - but the gimmick is the same). But in terms of fiction, the two concepts are entirely different.

Powermasters

The Powermaster Transformers were already sentient robots before they became binary bonded, or in Optimus Prime's case his consciousness was stored in a floppy disk (but otherwise sentient). The Powermaster process allows a binary bonded Nebulan partner to transform into a Transformer's engine and allows them to survive toxic Nebulan fuel and also allows them to convert almost anything into a source of fuel for Transformers (thus the Powermasters are not solely reliant on refined fuel or Energon).

It appears that Nebulan bonding (Powermaster, Headmaster, Targetmaster) has the potential side effect of having the minds of the Nebulan and his Cybertronian partner eventually merging into one - as seen with Hi-Q and Optimus Prime, as well as Lord Zarak and Scorponok.

Godmaster
The Japanese word for "God" (神) means god, but it also encompasses a wider meaning which includes anything of a divine or spiritual nature.　For example the word 神風 (kamikaze) can be translated as "God wind" or "divine wind." Remember that traditional Japanese spiritual beliefs (e.g. Shinto) are fundamentally animistic. Just watch Spirited Away and look at things like:
+ The various small shrines on the road to the tunnel.
+ The many different kinds of Gods who frequent the bathhouse - each one representing a different element of nature. e.g.: the 'stink god' turned out to be an ancient River God whose river had been heavily polluted by human activity. The character Haku is also a River God whose river had been destroyed by damming and construction (hence why he was unable to leave the spirit world and return to the real world with Chihiro at the end of the movie - he is the spirit of a dead river and there's nothing for him to return to).

The Transtectors are initially not sentient beings when we first see them - and they're essentially piloted by their human/Godmaster partners. They are powered by Choukon Power (Super Spirit Power) which manifests as Earth, Man and Heaven, which are the three core aspects of life in many East Asian religions (as can be seen in stories like Monkey ) -- basically, it's like the Force in Star Wars... a mystical energy source that comes from living things and grants special users certain powers.

why is Buster referred to as "he" in the subtitles but is plainly drawn (to me) as a woman

Having long hair and an effeminate face doesn't mean that he's a woman. He is what's called a Bishounen.

[snaketales]

Having long hair and an effeminate face doesn't mean that he's a woman. He is what's called a Bishounen.

Thanks Gok!

and now I know... and knowing is half the battle!

Oops wrong franchise

[5FDP]

Thanks Gok!

and now I know... and knowing is half the battle!

Oops wrong franchise

Not really. That phrase was also used in the Transformers G1 public service announcements. They're on the bonus features of the G1 boxset (season 4).

[bruticus]

just saw this auction from an ebay seller called sonofayoda:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Transformers-...item19bb07ad36

there is a comment in the text that reads:

"...Please leave 5 star feedback, PLEASE READ!!!!!. Ebay considers a 4 star rating BAD, as of April they are threatening to remove me and other dealers that sell vintage items. Or severely limiting the amount of items we can sell. If you like my auctions please leave me 5 stars! Ebay has threaten to remove me and other dealers as of APRIL. PLEASE NOTE EBAY CONSIDERS 4 STARS A BAD SCORE! Support the dealers that you buy from and give them 5 stars. I will send anyone a copy of the email that ebay has sent if you want. I have over 3500 positives and only 4 negatives and they still are unhappy with it. Thanks for your time..."

is that possible? can ebay really shut down a seller or limit their items being sold based on the Detailed Seller Ratings (DSR's) even though the feedback is very positive??

If it is just a fake plea, what is the real incentive for trying to achieve perfect 5 star DSR's?

In case anyone else was wondering, the above appears to be real as other sellers are asking the same thing:

from a non TF powerseller:
"...I would appreciate it if you could take into consideration when leaving your
DSR's (Detailed Seller Ratings - Stars) that although ebay say that leaving
4* means you are happy with your purchase in actual fact it means that you
are DISSATISFIED!! Ebay are now penalising sellers by putting their listings
lower in the search results if their DSR's are under 4.6!! This means that
even though you and I would consider 4* as satisfactory ebay dont and considers
anything under 5* as UNDER PERFORMING!!! As of January they are penalising
us even more! i would be very grateful if you would consider this when marking
the stars, as this directly affects our ability to offer the lowest prcies
on ebay..."