Streetstar - Black Cop Car or well any Deco that distinguishes him from Prowl

First Aid - White and Red Ambulance (since Prime Ratchet is white and orange), basically tryong to make him seem different enough from Ratchet being the biggest issue.

I disagree with your thesis that TFs are known for changing their alt modes. To the extent that we are talking. Remember you're talking along the lines of sleek motorcycle to tank or helicopter. I'd argue that that sort of change is actually pretty rare in Transformers. Far more common is say, becoming a different make of jet or a different model of car or truck. Where the general alt-mode family is kept and just the details are tweaked.

That, I would say, is equivalent of changing clothes. However, changing between a motorcycle and a submarine (to pic something at random) is not that usual or comon. That's the sort of change I see as counter to what I want to see when updating a character. Wolverine changes his uniform yes, but he's never changed into a six foot tall Andorian, cause that's the toy we have to work with repaintwise and he is a mutant they have secondary mutations and change (look at Beast).

Ok, yes that's a bit exagerative, but my point is that Human or Transformer there are some physical traits and parts of their nature that I think is important to maintaining the character. I'd actually argue this to be MORE important for someone like Afterburner who never got to get much characterization because being the "Technobot motorcycle" is actually a good portion of who he is for folks as a character. Lose that and you loose Afterburner IMO.


ZacWilliam, in the end of course it's personal taste and preference how much it matters to anyone. I'm not against alt mode changes ever absolutely in no circumstances can it ever work, but I know if I want a homage to an old guy, personally, capturing that old guys alt form at least passably is as important as the robot look.

Blue/white NYPD Deco. Or Navy/Gold NY State Police. Or Green/White Las Vegas/Florida style.

Blue/white NYPD Deco. Or Navy/Gold NY State Police. Or Green/White Las Vegas/Florida style.

Prime Ratchet is white and red. The CV Ratchet I have is definately red. Dunno of any snazzy distinctive ambulance color schemes offhand, other than Airport Rescue green and the usual White/Red.

Tennessee's State Trooper cars have a color scheme I've always liked.

I could accept Swindle being a helicopter and Blast Off being a tank, at least their colors were somewhat accurate. Sure its not their usual alternate modes but I thought it would make for some interesting character stories about how they react and adapt to the change of alternate mode.

I can see your point about drastic altmode changes but only for characters that, again, are defined by that altmode.
Well let me take your comments on Afterburner. You say he's defined by his altmode because he doesn't have much else. I say that makes him perfect for some reimagining seeing as all we really need to stick to with this guys is a group of smart dudes with techy bodies. We can give Afterburner just about any alt mode. I mean his name already makes no sense on a motorcycle so if he's lucky we can even help him out with that (and it occurs to me that all the Technobot limbs have flight mode style names but I digress). Characters with so little development open themselves up to far more change.
And I really wanna distance myself from comparing change in a TF to change in a human character as it really makes little to no sense.

That speculation aside, a small part of me wants to nitpick slightly about Swindle's head or Brawl being two barreled like Onslaught, tiny G1 fanboy things.... But, well, NO I WILL NOT DO THAT. Getting 5 G1 inspired deluxe Combaticons that form Bruticus is a HONEST TO HASBRO MIRACLE that I will do nothing but rejoice over. Holy Cow!

-ZacWilliam, wow. Can I say Wow again? Wow. Can't wait to see the others.

I could accept Swindle being a helicopter and Blast Off being a tank, at least their colors were somewhat accurate. Sure its not their usual alternate modes but I thought it would make for some interesting character stories about how they react and adapt to the change of alternate mode.

Ah, yes, need to add that one: This will have absolutely crap limbs, with no hands or feet, and fall over all the time.

All this talk about Hasbro remolding these or Botcon reusing these...have you guys forgotten the rules? I was under the impression molds of anything used in the game were under strict licensing agreements, meaning off limits for the club and probably not available for remolding unless planned and executed relatively quickly after the debut of the line (see Cliffjumper).

I'm pretty sure that was just for the movie games, and then only because those designs were kinda mixed up with Dreamworks. I don't think Hasbro will ever get into that situation again if they can help it.

Btw, if nothing else, Vortex as a Cybertronian helicopter will clarify even to the strongest doubters that Cybertron does have an atmosphere. (I wonder why some people were doubting it even after we have been introduced to Springer...)

Blue/white NYPD Deco. Or Navy/Gold NY State Police. Or Green/White Las Vegas/Florida style.



Prime Ratchet is white and red. The CV Ratchet I have is definately red. Dunno of any snazzy distinctive ambulance color schemes offhand, other than Airport Rescue green and the usual White/Red.

Btw, if nothing else, Vortex as a Cybertronian helicopter will clarify even to the strongest doubters that Cybertron does have an atmosphere. (I wonder why some people were doubting it even after we have been introduced to Springer...

I always liked the deco of my local Police cars:



But it looks like Silver/bluestreak as a cop car...

Since there is no animosity I have no issue with debating this honestly.
Which is why I'm going to call your Wolverine reference a strawman.
Wolverine is a person. He looks the way he looks and changing that drastically just makes no sense. But TFs are known for changing their altmodes and changing appearance is kinda their schtick. Different altmodes for TFs are like different gear and uniforms for humans. And lord knows Wolverine has changed his uniform plenty over the years.

I wonder where Bruticus' double backpack-guns will come from - in the FOC intro he has them, but WFC Onslaught only has small guns on his back.

Brawl sure has a pair of big ol' double guns...

I wonder if G1 Bruticus' back got sore from having to bend over to fire his back guns all the time.

Or maybe they're anti-directly-overhead-air cannons.

In the FOC intro, Bruticus only has the shoulder spikes we already see on the toy. Those aren't guns on his back, but the spikes on his shoulders.

In that same intro, we see Brawl's cannons remain on Bruticus's knee.

In the FOC intro, Bruticus only has the shoulder spikes we already see on the toy. Those aren't guns on his back, but the spikes on his shoulders.

In that same intro, we see Brawl's cannons remain on Bruticus's knee.

In the FOC intro, Bruticus only has the shoulder spikes we already see on the toy. Those aren't guns on his back, but the spikes on his shoulders.

In that same intro, we see Brawl's cannons remain on Bruticus's knee.

Of course with an outside studio involved in designing the characters, IP ownership isn't the only thing that can put an end to potential repaints. If there's a deal where the studio gets a cut of toy sales, that could prevent Fun Pub toys just as easily.

So while I have no doubts that Hasbro owns the designs here (which is probably why IDW can use them for non-WfC comics), having to send a portion of all sales to High Moon could easily make toys too expensive to produce for Fun Pub.

That Swindle head has got to go. I think I have a busted animated Swindle somewhere. I wonder if that'll fit.

That sounds like a Terrible match

Tron bike
Race car
Drill
Little Space Jet
and Big Space jet

in no way match up to

Off-Road vehicle
Tank
Space Shuttle
Helicopter
and Big Armored Assault Vehicle


Not even if you squint.


-ZacWilliam, not even if you think pretty low of the FP's decissions could that seem likely to happen I think.

Yeah, it requires a bit of stretching, but it's certainly doable. Throw in a few head remolds here and there and boom! Classics Computron!

I've never heard it either, but I suppose it does make a degree of sense, if non-Hasbro employees contributed to the design or transformation mechanics of the characters.

Then again, if they signed work-for-hire contracts, Hasbro can do what they want and nobody could say squat about it.

By the way, why exactly does Bruticus need five fingers? He's not the Decepticon typist.

When he runs out of ammo, it makes it easier for him to pick up an Autobot and use them as a club.

not to be a joystealer or anything, but you just know hasbro will release these in such a way that we will never see all five in the same store at the same time and one of them will end up coming out after the line 'ends'.

By the way, why exactly does Bruticus need five fingers? He's not the Decepticon typist.

Well I'd like to think that if each member of the Transformer race was built rather than born and had full control over their appearance, that they'd choose a better aesthetic, rather than solely wanting function from their bodies. Machines of war need to look pretty too, y'know!

so that explains Overlords sexy lips!

The A-10 Thunderbolt lives to prove you wrong.