The Random Transformers Thoughts Thread

[GoktimusPrime]

Nope. Still don't get it. Because Transformers never fight like that. I would (and still do) simulate action by trying to make the toys physically do what I want them to do. e.g. if I wanted Soundwave to punch Optimus Prime, I would make Soundwave's fist connect with Optimus Prime's face. There wouldn't be any force behind it, because they're just toys, but then I'd use my hands to make Optimus Prime fly through the air and crash into something. I never felt the urge to literally slam it.

My daughter doesn't deliberately mistreat her toys, but if she did I would simply stop buying them for her. She currently collects Shopkins, which are admittedly hard to break, but if she, say, threw them onto the ground then I'd never buy another one for her. I've never actually said this to her. I don't need to... it's just common sense. If you like something, take care of it. If you're not going to take care of it then no more!

[Bladestorm]

Nope. Still don't get it. Because Transformers never fight like that. I would (and still do) simulate action by trying to make the toys physically do what I want them to do. e.g. if I wanted Soundwave to punch Optimus Prime, I would make Soundwave's fist connect with Optimus Prime's face. There wouldn't be any force behind it, because they're just toys, but then I'd use my hands to make Optimus Prime fly through the air and crash into something. I never felt the urge to literally slam it.

My 9 year old son plays with his Transformers exactly as you do Gok. He never throws them or has any force behind his figures fighting and they still have some doozy fights! He treats his toys with respect. He wouldn't have as many toys as he does if he didn't care for them and he knows and understands this. I don't understand the violence towards or with toys by some kids either. My son has a couple of friends who are super rough (learnt through poor old movie Sideswipe loosing his front fenders to these kids (TWICE) literally snapping them off to get the transformation to move to much shed tears by my son). He won't even allow these kids in his room when they come to play anymore (and he hides his most precious Transformers items in my bedroom just incase).
I think some kids aren't taught the value of a toy because they think mummy or daddy will just get them a new one or buy them the latest thing when they ask for it in such a disposable world. Least that seems to be one of the issues here.

[GoktimusPrime]

Your son is awesome. And you're an awesome mum for supporting him in the defence of his toys. Because among my G1 toys that are broken, the majority of those were broken by other kids. I would be like your son and want to refuse to share my toys with others who had demonstrated that they couldn't be trusted, but my mum made me share my toys. And yeah, whenever someone broke a toy, I would be in tears. I'd go and tell my mum about it, but she never backed me up. She just laughed it off, so the kid who broke the toy faced zero consequences, and I was never compensated. Even when that other kid's mum or dad would offer to pay for a new one, my mum would flatly refuse to accept their offer and also refuse to buy me a new one. So I was just left with a broken Transformer, which I still have in my collection today. Even if I manage to replace that toy with another one now (usually a reissue), I keep the original because even in its broken condition, it's the toy from my childhood.

My G1 Long Haul is one example of this. Shortly after I got Long Haul in 1985 (my first Constructicon no less), another kid at school (about 3-4 years older than me too) borrowed it from me. He was late - very late - in returning it. Over a week or two later when I finally got it back, Long Haul was in pieces! The kid told me that his mum had disapproved of him borrowing the toy from me and smashed it. I didn't believe him and kept on asking why his mum would do something like that, and why she didn't just make him return it straight away, but he kept on saying that it was to punish him for borrowing the toy. I even told him that this made no sense as I was the one who was punished really, not him! So I spent the rest of my childhood and even adolescence with a broken G1 Long Haul. I later decided to super-glue Long Haul in Devastator-component mode so that I could at least form Devastator with the rest of my Constructicons, but it meant sacrificing the ability to "transform" it (which involved literally taking the toy apart and reassembling it, like the KSI Decepticons ), but at least I could display my Constructicons as Devastator. It was years later when the Parramatta Collectors Fair first came around in the 00s that I found a cheap loose G1 Long Haul. Now I have the Encore reissue, so I have 3 different versions of G1 Long Haul. I keep my G1 Constructicons combined as Devastator and the reissues displayed in individual robot mode, and logically I should chuck out my old G1 Long Haul, but I can't. He still forms Devastator, and the spare G1 Long Haul that I got sits displayed in vehicle mode (so he's the one 1985 Constructicon that I have displayed in all 3 modes )

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I had an awesome idea - you know those Incredible Cross Sections books?
There should totally be a Transformers version.

[Borgeman]

There's a difference between breaking a toy during general play, and outright violence on a toy. While throwing toys on concrete is not a very bright move, I wouldn't expect any future kids of mine to treat their toys like an adult collector. I'd expect that some toys will break due to the nature of the play/what the child is re-enacting.

I was extremely imaginative as a kid, and would create worlds to fit the environment of the room i was playing in - a simple example was a desk being a cliff that some toys would inevitably fall off and meet their doom, and gravity was a much more realistic way for a character to fall, rather than me gently cradling it through the air down to the floor.

And there was nothing wrong with damaging toys. Nothing like a bit of battle damage to carry over to the next exciting adventure my brain concocted!

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Galvatron has a Jet mode, and Hasbros is reminiscent of Energon Galvatron. What if it is a dual homage (or 3 homages if you make him Marvel galvatron because of the Megatron Headmaster)

Marvel Galvatron was a Headmaster? Could someone explain this reference to me please?

Nope. Still don't get it.

Some kids are just different to you Gok. I too don't understand what joy they from smashing stuff up, but there ya go. I played vigorously with my toys as a kid, my Optimus has broken smokestacks and a broken front bumper from smashing through too many Decepticon barricades in the 80s. Maybe that kid was in a bad mood and doesn't know how to express (him?)self well enough. Maybe he took it off another kid and is a bully and wants to break it coz he's a bully. I'm sure there is some reason for it that the kid understands.

[UltraMarginal]

I had an awesome idea - you know those Incredible Cross Sections books?
There should totally be a Transformers version.

I really struggle to enjoy those books, I often find words used to describe something are either painfully obvious, like 'cockpit window' or just not right. technobabble is technobabble but good technobabble is based on solid scientific theory and logical extrapolation. I have a couple star wars ones and I've never spent much time with them.

[Jaxius._]

Marvel Galvatron was a Headmaster? Could someone explain this reference to me please?

i meant as Megatron and Galvatron existing as separate entities.

[Trent]

I never before realized what a butt-ugly alt mode Generations Drift has. It's horrible.

[GoktimusPrime]

I never before realized what a butt-ugly alt mode Generations Drift has. It's horrible.

The original looks even worse, although it is a Cybertronian vehicle mode. HasTak obviously based the toy off the comic model but modified the alt mode to try and make it look more Earthen but at the same time identifiable as that weird looking box-sled wannabe-Batmobile... thing.