Talk:Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes

... You know, if it's going to be "popular" alternate modes, it should be a form that at least, you know, more than two people share. I say three seperate characters (if not three different MOLDS) is the bare minimum. -hx 03:13, 16 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Me, I'd say five to six characters, with preferably a minimum of three or four different "molds" (since some of these bodies/characters may end up as fiction-only). Rampant redecoing is kinda cheating. --M Sipher 03:38, 16 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I think we also have to be kind of tough on what counts. For cars, it should be same make and model.  For critters, though, I'm gonna have to go with same general species.  "Scorpions" seems acceptable to me, but "birds" doesn't.  You'd have to do something more like "falcons" or "eagles" for it to seem alright.  I dunno why.  Also, what do we do with Fuzors?  I'm kind of loath to include the Sharkticons and Seacons and shit, but, say, Overbite's bio identifies him as a "shark," while Snapdragon's just calls him a "reptile."  -hx 22:11, 16 July 2007 (UTC)


 * For invertebrates, I don't know HasTak have ever made multiple distinct species, so the way we count scorpions and crabs is fine. Spiders might be the exception there. The vertebrate section, however, is a MESS. We have a "wolves" section that excludes the domestic subspecies of Canis lupus, and then an entire order of mammals lumped together as "bats". Vertebrates should probably be broken down by species, although that makes a mess of bears. Breaking it down by genus, though, would lump together the lions, tigers, and jaguars... which is just wrong. -Rotty 23:06, 16 July 2007 (UTC)


 * This just seems to be the way humans think about other animals--there's a strong pro-mammal bias. Every child can identify mammal species on sight ("wolf," "lion," "tiger," "gorilla"), but more distantly related animals are usually known only at the order or even subclass level ("parrot", "shark").  Their kind all look alike.  --Thylacine 2000 00:49, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Aaron Archer doesn't care about black-winged Macaws (or whatever). -hx 01:16, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Indeed Thy, I was thinking just that as I wrote it. It's what we're stuck with though, since HasTak really DID make the crabs and scorpions to all look alike. The ones we need to clean up are "bats" and "sharks"... -Rotty 01:20, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Also, aside from K-9, have there BEEN any other TF non-wolf-canines? That hyena guy, I guess.  I think the other issue is that "lions" is gonna have twelve guys, tops.  "Big cats" is more like 40 guys.  If we're going to do this at ALL, we should err on the side of making it manageable, and if that means dividing mammals more than dividing invertebrates, then I'm all for it.  (also, seriously, we need a "two headed monster" category.) -hx 01:30, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Hoop, hyenas are Feliforms. Canis is just wolves (including the domestic dog and dingo), the coyote, and jackals. :) -Rotty 01:37, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I think this page is a useful reference whenever three or more characters from multiple molds share a vehicle mode. In the case of rampant redecoing, that mold's section on each character's toy page covers the body-sharing, so we should delete things like the Volkswagen Beetle. -Rotty 03:40, 16 July 2007 (UTC)


 * We are getting a section on Tigers, right? -Derik 03:44, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

I wouldn't mind seeing this article changed from "popular" to "shared," and have no numerical restrictions, just list all specific alt modes that more than one character uses. --KilMichaelMcC 03:58, 16 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Then we're basically making the page utterly redundant and useless, since we're talking what, half the TF cast?
 * This is looking at the phenomenon of certain alternate mode models popping up more often than others, and across multiple unique toy molds. There are a LOT of unique Dassault Rafale jets in TFdom. A LOT of that Fizzle-style Baja Buggy. A LOT of those huge earth-mover dump-trucks. Two characters having the same altmode over almost 25 years doesn't quite impress, especially considering the sheer amount of redecoing of molds going on. --M Sipher 04:24, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

On an unrelated note, with the section on beast modes containing only lions, tigers, and bears, it's practically crying out for an "Oh My" header. Any Transformers that turn into beasts that are so utterly bizarre no one has any idea what they hell they are? - Dark T Zeratul 08:05, 16 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Enough of them that are similar enough to each other to make up a listing on this page? Without checking, I'd say "probably not". --Sntint 13:57, 16 July 2007 (UTC)


 * The only "monster" types I could even remotely entertain doing an entry here for would be "two headed dragon" (Hun-Grarararrrrugh, Doublecross, etc.) and "bug monster" (Repugnus, Repugnus) -hx 21:31, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Requirements and cleanup
I think it's time we took a serious look at this page. It's currently a damn sprawling mess.
 * 1) First of all... let's decide on a "minimum requirements". I think the primary one should be "at least three unique 'molds' across as many different characters", (which would include instances like the IDW characters who have different model altmodes from their originals).
 * 2) Next... what counts as "close enough"? Neither make of Ferrari goes over two molds, but the two makes are pretty damn close visually.
 * 3) Let me propose this as an alternate method of listing to cut waaaaaay back on vertical space... it would need to be noted up top that these are grouped by mold, but still.


 * RID Side Burn / Roulette / Shadow Striker


 * RID Side Burn (Spy Changer) / G1 Jazz (Universe)


 * G1 Sideswipe (Alternators) / Dead End (Alternators) / Sunstreaker (Alternators)


 * Hot Rod (IDW comic, non-toy appearance)

Just kicking around stuff. --M Sipher 01:12, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

"Three molds" is definitely the right threshold. For the vehicles, your format looks good. None of the vehicular mold mates on this list are retooled to represent different models, so it works. Animal mold mates DO get turned into different species, though. -Rotty 01:25, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I can get behind "three molds," most def. I would argue that with autos, it should be make and model, but not necessarily year.  The Mustang gets in, because there are three Mustang TFs, even though one is a first-gen and the other two are fifth-gen.  The Ferraris don't, I don't think, 'cause they're different models.  -hx 01:32, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I've only left the Ferraris in because you'd think that, like the Porsches and Lamborghinis, at least one of their supercars would have a mold threepeat in the 23-year history of the brand and it just wasn't coming to mind. -Rotty 01:39, 17 July 2007 (UTC)