Talk:Popular beast alternate modes

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki

If we're going to have this page at all, we're going to have to at least try to respect biological classification: pick levels we deem noteworthy and then stick with them across all groups. "Panther" is not a real animal name. Work in progress... --Thylacine 2000 02:25, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Should we just eliminate the common names, then? Everyone should still know what we're talking about if we just say Panthera and Gorilla, surely. -Rotty 02:56, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

But they won't automatically know what we're talking about when they see Acinonyx or Ceratotherium. Though I guess it becomes clear when you list the characters beneath them. --Thylacine 2000 03:56, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Thy, I have to disagree. We are writing this article for random laypeople that want to know about shared beast forms, not biologists. I think the page becomes significantly less useful if we do anything other than refer to the animals at the level at which random uneducated people will refer to them. None of the organization should be erroneous, of course, but random people will know the difference between at least some big cat species, and we should reflect that by splitting the big cats up. Readers will care whether the altmode is a lion versus a tiger, or perhaps even a polar bear versus some other variety of bear. But most people don't really know or care about different scorpions, for instance, so there is no need to split them up. --Steve-o 04:19, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

I agree with Steve, but I think it would serve to identify both ways. If we categorize with general "layman" animal types, we can give a scientific name, perhaps in parentheses, following the Transformer name on each entry into the list. --Sntint 04:33, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

We don't need to do that after every Transformer's name! I already broke all the vertebrates except "Bats" and "Rhinos" (which need work) down to the genus in parentheses. -Rotty 05:27, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Well, then for those for whom it is necessary or pertinent? List the bats and rhinos as bats and rhinos, then specify after each individual's name. For the sake of information. --Sntint 05:44, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Contents 1 Dinoforce 2 Snapdragon 3 Speaking of which... 4 Megatron in Beast Machines-Dragon Category 5 Cobrabreast? 6 Ha ha 7 Megatron + Repaints Altmodes (RID) 8 Hardhead/Dinotron? 9 Simon Furman? 10 A complete list of Beast Alt modes? And additional questions.

[edit] Dinoforce

Are we to include these guys? Does the disguise of the shell count as an "alternate mode" to the robot, even if it's a mode that doesn't resemble that of the inner altmode (unlike Carnivac and Catilla, who unambiguously do fit on this list)? Also, while I'm here, the pterosaur shit is really hard because I honestly don't remember which "Swoop" and "Terranotron" came out in BM or Armada and which ones were naming errors on instruction sheets and whatnot. --Thylacine 2000 19:51, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

I don't consider a Pretender shell to be a "mode" at all. --M Sipher 20:04, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, considering Pretender shells can have modes of their own, not to mention several pretenders already being listed on the virtue of their inner body's alt-mode.--Rosicrucian 21:17, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Snapdragon

Anyone feels that though his name has "Dragon", but his altmode looks like kinda dinosaur rather the Dragon. -- TX55 09:02, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

He's not readily identifiable as any sort of creature other than "upright lizardy guy" so no, not really. It's not like he's blatantly a t. rex or what-have-you. -hx 12:50, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Speaking of which...

I kind of think we should break "Dragons" down to "Traditional Dragons" and "Two-Headed Dragons," since we've got quite a few of those out there (RiD Megs, Hun-Grr, Doublecross, Sinnertwin sorta... I feel like I'm forgetting someone. Anyway, just a thought. I don't think there's any other fantasy monsters that are as common or as identifiable. -hx 12:52, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Singular and Double Dragons?--Zodberg 13:44, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Multi-headed. Cyb. Scourge has 3 heads. -- Repowers 15:11, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Megatron in Beast Machines-Dragon Category

When he gets angry in beast machines he drops out of the armor and changes to a dragon. Why isn't this in there? It only lists Beast Wars Megatron's Dragon form currently. If there's a good reason I'm missing, please inform me. Mrhthepie

It COULD be because BW Megatron is already listed, much like how Deathsaurus is only listed once instead of twice (his original Japanese toy form and his Botcon exclusive toy). BM Megatron and BW Megatron are the same character. --Detour 21:32, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cobrabreast?

Who is Cobrabreast? Is he a Beastformer? A Breastmaster component? -75.168.112.43 00:46, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Cobrabreast is the Breast Animal/partner of Deathcobra. --TX55 00:57, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Er- why is he not mentioned on Deathcobras's page? Or anywhere? -Derik 16:39, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Ha ha

I have this incredible urge to add "homo sapiens" under Primates and list 95% of all Transformers ever. --ItsWalky 18:42, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Transforers don't transform into humans, they transform into upright bipeds with bilateral symetry.

...but seriously, add homo sapiens and put all the Pretenders in. -Derik 18:45, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Speaking of Pretenders, should the Dinoforce be put in under the various dinosaur listings or not, since only their shells are dinosaurs? --Nightshade83 19:42, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

We discussed Dinoforce above, and seemed to come down on "no." Though I guess we could include an asterisked / italicized "so-and-so had a SHELL of a triceratops while not actually turning into one," and so on. If we're going to include ANY of the Pretenders, then I'll go for it. Note, though, that if we do include Pretender shells, the Dinoforce apatosaur will put us over the three-mold threshold for sauropods! --Thylacine 2000 21:04, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Megatron + Repaints Altmodes (RID)

Do we want to list him for all of his animal altmodes, or only for his more well know dragon mode? (Mammoth and bat mode are included in his instructions) Also, do we want to list all of the Megatron's toys repaints as well? (Eg. Deathsaurus, Galvatron etc.) (Tribor 21:24, 18 July 2008 (UTC))

[edit] Hardhead/Dinotron?

Does their beast mode, Pachycephalosaurus, belong on this list? If not, what is the minimum amount of characters needed to make this list? Compy-Rex 00:31, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Last time I checked it was two molds per animal. Since Hardhead and Dinotron are the same mold, they don't qualify. --Detour 00:59, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Okay, thank you. Compy-Rex 01:09, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Simon Furman?

Can you kindly explain that?

Note that if you can, I might be tempted to include BayBot... --Thylacine 2000 15:20, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

It's a joke from the UK movie comic letters page, in which Starscream refers to Simon Furman as a Maximal, specifically, a "strategically shaven ape." :) - Chris McFeely 16:21, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Needs to be cited in the article somehow. --KilMichaelMcC 16:22, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

It's cited in Furman's article. Do we cite our source for saying Squawktalk is an eagle on this list? -Derik 18:00, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Seeing a real-life human being on a list of fictional characters will obviously provoke questions, such as "Can you explain that?" and "What the fuck?" Best to provide the answer right there in article, no? --KilMichaelMcC 20:38, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

I worked an explanation in, but... I still don't really "get it." I think I'm leaning towards having those gone, honestly. --Thylacine 2000 22:31, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

That is a fair and legitimate criticism Kil bring up. I think it has merit. -Derik 02:58, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

[edit] A complete list of Beast Alt modes? And additional questions.

Alright guys, I have several questions about this page...

First of all, am I the only one who thinks there should be a complete list of characters with beast alt modes, instead of a page listing only the "popular" ones? I had gotten to this page a while ago, and tried to find the character what was the name of the Kangaroo character from the BWII game boy colour game for a good while, only to be frustrated by the fact that he just wasn't listed here... (I eventually found he was named Star Upper but it was annoying that I couldn't access his page from the same list where I could find most other beast transformers...)

Additionally, what are the parameters to determine that something is a "Beast" alternative mode, and another isn't? After all, the Sharkticons, although they don't transform into sharks, do seem to transform into some kind of alien life form... There are several other characters who do transform into alien lifeforms, such as Princess Rage from the Beast Wars Neo Manga, Blackarachnia from Transformers: Animated, etc... (Maybe add an "Alien Life Forms" section?)

While on that topic, although I don't think they should be removed or anything (I'm actually really glad that they're listed!) I think some character should receive special notes besides their names to clarify a few details. Although most characters from the beast era clearly transform into what is a genuine beast mode, (that animal's genetic structure was scanned and somehow incorporated into the robot's super structure) other characters, such as the Dinobots from Transformers: Animated (among others) didn't go through the same process. Their alternative modes are in reality animatronic attractions, designed to look like dinosaur. They are still 100% machine, unlike Blackarchnia from the same series. Maybe put an asterisk next to their name and have a footnote at the end of the list, clarifying that certain characters alt modes are in reality "vehicles" designed to look like a beast?

Thanks to any feedbacks on my questions, I'd like to hear other people's opinions on these subjects.

Emperor Necros 19:16, 3 September 2008 (UTC)