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The Core

2012-04-28T09:15:31Z

99.39.88.159: /* Continuity errors */ kinda....bugs me. stupid gripe

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=28
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=49
|prev2=Cosmic Rust (episode)
|next2=Blaster Blues
|series3=''[[Generation 2 (cartoon)|The Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=7
|prev3=The Autobot Run
|next3=Dinobot Island, Part 1
|image=TheCore Devastator zapped.jpg
|caption=
|title="The Core"
|production code=#700-27
|airdate=[[October 29]], 1985
|written by=[[Dennis Marks]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron tries to drill his way to the center to the Earth, while the Autobots take control of Devastator with mind-controlling Dominator Discs.'''

:''Japanese title:'' デバスターを倒せ! (''Devastor o Taose!'', "Defeat Devastor!")
:''German ''Generation 2'' title:''' "'''Erde in Gefahr'''" ("Earth in Danger")
:''Brazilian title:'' '''O Núcleo'''
:''Italian title, dub 1:'' '''Al centro della Terra''' ("To the center of Earth")
:''Italian title, dub 2:'' '''Il nucleo''' ("The core")
:''Russian title'': '''Ядро''' (''Yadro'', "The Core" )
==Synopsis==
[[Image:Coredevastatorattacks.jpg|left|175px|thumb|"Devastator use boulder as ball and Autobots as pins!"]]

At an underground cavern near a waterfall, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] are digging with a massive drill. However, the rock they're drilling through breaks, and only some quick work on [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]'s part plugs it up. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] orders Mixmaster to look over [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]'s sensory equipment, while [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] does his daily whine-about-Megatron's-nefarious-plan bit. Megatron counters that if they manage to tap into the Earth's molten core, it will give the [[Decepticon]]s geothermal energy, a limitless power source. Starscream counters that if they breach the core, the Earth runs the risk of exploding. However, Megatron doesn't care: he's placed a [[space bridge]] near the drilling site, which will take the Decepticons to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] if the Earth's stability should be threatened.

[[Image:Coreautobotsinnet.jpg|right|175px|thumb|This is the worst tent ever!]]

Meanwhile, [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] are driving around in that general area, when Sunstreaker realizes that there should be a river where they're driving through. The Autobots head to investigate, and see Mixmaster and Scavenger. The Autobots [[Transformation|transform]] to attack, only to see that the Constructicons have disappeared, and to fail to notice [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] above them. Informed by [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], Megatron orders the Constructicons to destroy the Autobots and form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. The Decepticon [[combiner]] knocks the Autobots off the cliff, but Mirage goes invisible on them. He remains undetected as Devastator attacks the others, and finds the drill. As Mirage rejoins the group, Jazz does a [[sound and light show]] which distracts Devastator, allowing Mirage and Sunstreaker to lasso his legs with a rope, allowing the Autobots to escape.

[[Image:Coredevastator%26prime.jpg|left|175px|thumb|Devastator has no idea how to start transforming 20th Anniversary Prime.]]

At the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]], the Autobots use [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to calculate what will happen if the drill hits the Earth's core. The result will be total annihilation, but the Autobots have little hope of defeating the Decepticons with Devastator. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Chip Chase]] present [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] with their new [[dominator disc]]s, which will be placed on the individual Constructicons and take control of them when they form Devastator. Convinced, Optimus Prime orders a commando team to plant the discs on the Constructicons. Heading for the drilling site, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] freezes the falls, causing the drill to heat up. [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] orders the Constructicons to the surface, during which the Autobots plant a disc on each Constructicon. As the commandos are pulled out, Starscream has them dead to rights, but Megatron orders him to let them pass, saying that he knows of their plan to control Devastator. As Megatron positions the Decepticons, he orders the Decepticons to attack. The Decepticons fire on the still moving Autobots, who break formation, as the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] transform to [[bring the rain]] on the Autobots. Megatron orders the Constructicons to form Devastator, who grabs Prime. Wheeljack activates the discs, and Optimus orders Devastator to release him. Devastator follows the Autobot leader's orders, and attack the Decepticons. Megatron orders the Decepticons to retreat to the cave, and Devastator seals them in. Optimus orders the Autobots to break off, as they can finish the Decepticons at their leisure.

[[Image:Corediagramscene.jpg|right|175px|thumb|I didn't know the Earth's centre was made from green layers.]]

Within the caverns, Starscream whines about being trapped, not having enough water to keep drilling, and so on. However, Megatron reveals that this was all part of his plan: he has a device that will override the dominator discs and stored enough water to continue drilling for some time. He just didn't tell Starscream because he's a terrible actor. At the Autobot base, the Constructicons are helping with repairs, when an earthquake hits. Realizing that the Decepticons are still drilling, the Autobots head to put them out of commission. However, Megatron is aware of their coming, watching them through the Constructicons' eyes. The Autobots and Devastator head for the cave, and Devastator is set to destroy it, at which point Megatron uses his control switch to deactivate the discs. Devastator begins attacking the Autobots, so Wheeljack tries to boost power to the discs. Unfortunately, this fries Devastator's [[Circuits|logic circuits]] and sends him into a killing frenzy, attacking both Autobot and Decepticon alike.

[[Image:Coremegs%26wheeljack.jpg|left|175px|thumb|Take off your clothes and come on in!]]

Finally, the drill hits the core, and the cave—and the earth itself—begin to come apart. Unfortunately, Devastator's rampage has damaged the drill's controls. Megatron orders the Decepticons to the space bridge, but Devastator damages it. Optimus convinces Megatron to give his control switch to Wheeljack, who uses it to deactivate the discs and bring Devastator back to normal. Devastator then heads to destroy the drill, while the Decepticons flee for their [[Spark|lives]]. Devastator succeeds, but is surprised by Megatron's absence. Chip tells Devastator that he ran, but Devastator believes that "Noble Megatron" merely left to plan their next attack and leaves (he really is as dumb as a post). Chip is somewhat saddened, as he was hoping that Devastator would join the Autobots. Optimus tells him not to let go of his dreams.

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (8)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (9)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (10)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (11)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (12)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (17)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (19)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (20)
* [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (24)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (25)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (26)
|c2=
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (1)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (2)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (3)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (4)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (5)
* [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (6)
* [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (7)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (13)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (14)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (15)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (16)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (21)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (22)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (23)
|c3=
* [[Chip Chase]] (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"Autobots, move out!"
:—'''Sunstreaker''', thinking he outranks Jazz and Prowl.

"It's like shooting [[dynametal duck]]s in a beryllium barrel."
:—'''Starscream''' wonders if they store [[beryllium baloney]] in beryllium barrels.

"Traitor!"
:—'''Starscream''' to Megatron. No, you read that right.

"I do this only for the benefit of my Decepticons. It grieves me that you may also profit."
:—'''Megatron''', agreeing to ally with the Autobots and lying through his teeth (he's doing it to save his own chassis).

"What's the matter, Chip?" 
"I guess I was hoping Devastator might join the Autobots for good, but that's probably just a dumb old dream." 
"Hang on your dreams, Chip. The future is built on dreams. Hang on."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' gives '''Chip Chase''' valuable words to live by.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
This being one of the Season 2 AKOM episodes, many characters have unusual color schemes which persist through the entire episode. This includes:
* Megatron's gun barrel is dark gray.
* Gears' truck mode is red with blue fenders instead of blue with a red camper top. His white robot bits are colored light gray.
* Prowl is a light gray instead of white.
* Optimus Prime's backpack is white instead of red.
* Chip has a blue jacket instead of brown. This is ''good'', though. It means that, unlike a lot of cartoon humans, he actually changes clothes.
* The circle on Bumblebee's back is dark gray instead of yellow.

Errors not attributable to model sheets include:
* It seems unlikely that the metal ring surrounding the drill would fracture in exactly the same way as the rock surrounding it.
* Hook's first transformation is bizarre. His crane-mode cab just kind of disappears into his stomach... only to reappear as his foot a second later.
* Scavenger's voice gives the "emergency!" lines that follow, but Scrapper is shown. It's not clear from the animation who's actually speaking, though.
* When the Constructicons are all shown zapping the fissure shut, all the other cracks are gone.
* Subsequent shots of the drill show no trace of the Constructicons' ad hoc ground repairs. Did they pave them over??
* Missing Seeker insignia:
** When he's first seen sitting at the console, Starscream is missing the Decepticon emblems on his wings.
** Starscream has only one wing emblem as he watches Megatron walk through the holographic rock wall.
** The Seekers are all missing their wing emblems as the Decepticons launch their counterattack on the approaching Autobots in the canyon.
** Starscream's missing his wing emblems yet again as he turns and says "You thought of everything".
** Starscream's got only one emblem as he runs crying to Devastator for help. Seriously, how hard is it to keep track of two emblems?
* It's not indisputably an error, but Starscream's hand makes none of the typical whirring/sliding noises as he retracts it and replaces it with the drill (which, holy cow, where does he ''keep'' that thing?)
* The animation of the Autobots driving up the slope out of the riverbed is crude and mistimed—Mirage drives all the way into the slope before he tilts to start climbing it. The other Autobots all tilt up as a group, even though they're in a line.
* Laserbeak's missing his transformation sound as he returns to Soundwave's chest compartment after sighting the Autobots.
* As Laserbeak plays back the Autobots' words, a second voice seems to be echoing Jazz's "Constructicons!"
* As the Constructions all transform to vehicle mode, both Hook and Mixmaster suffer from their feet failing to become the corresponding part of their vehicle modes. All of the Constructicons have completely changed positions from where they were standing in the preceding shot.
* The boulder that Devastator uses against the Autobots is never seen to hit bottom.
* As usual, Devastator's combination sequence is screwed up. In addition to lacking any transformation noise, Long Haul only forms about half of his actual contribution, with Hook getting the rest. At least they got the other four guys correct!
* Three of the Constructicons are shown monitoring the drill, while at the same time Devastator is outside fighting the rest of the Autobots. In the same scene, Starscream's missing one of his wing emblems yet again.
* As Devastator falls from Sunstreaker and Mirage's snare, he has two eyes instead of his usual visor.
* Wheeljack has some strange white areas on his head when he's first seen inside Autobot Headquarters.
* The center line on Scrapper's face mask disappears as he orders the Constructicons to the surface.
* The Constructicons' elevator isn't animated, making them appear to just levitate into the air in vehicle mode. A whirring effects noise, and a lack of glow effects, makes it seem that this was ''not'' supposed to be the levitation beam used earlier by Starscream and Megatron. A second later, however, they ''do'' drive off the levitation beam, complete with glow effect.
* There is ''no way'' Ironhide has room for that much of the water-freezing liquid inside him.
* Appearing/disappearing Autobots:
** Ironhide is shown retreating into the cage at the bottom of the cliff, even though he was never shown to have left the top of the cliff. He seems to have taken Sunstreaker's place. As the cage begins to rise, Sunstreaker reappears (with a strangely miscolored or off-model head), but Jazz is missing.
** The roster of Autobots on the return mission to the cave fluctuates all over the place. Prowl, Jazz, Ironhide and Sideswipe are shown leaving Autobot HQ (and Devastator apparently just sits there while the Autobots move out!) When they arrive at the cave, Hound and Wheeljack have replaced Prowl and Ironhide. After Chip is trapped in the cave, Ratchet shows up among Devastator's victims. After the commercial break, Ironhide is back with the group. As the earthquakes begin, Sunstreaker shows up out of nowhere to rescue Chip.
* Five Autobots fit inside Prime's pyramid cage, which then fits inside his trailer. Huge trailer, or tiny Autobots?
* As he ejects Ravage, the inside of Soundwave's chest compartment is bright yellow.
* Devastator's second combination sequence contains the same visual errors as the first one; plus, Hook's mass includes Bonecrusher's scoop.
* Once the Autobots subjugate Devastator, he's seen swatting Skywarp, but the next shot is of Thundercracker spinning out of control. Then Thundercracker immediately flies back in ''again'' and is swatted off, screaming in Starscream's voice. The shot following that has Skywarp standing with the other Decepticons.
* Wheeljack's roof is orange instead of white as Chip leans out his window.
* As Devastator blasts the Decepticons' cave shut, the frozen falls spontaneously unfreeze for no apparent reason.
* Bumblebee is with the cheering Autobots as Devastator flies out of the canyon, despite not being seen anywhere else in the episode.
* Again, the metal in Autobot Headquarters splits as though it were rock.
* After Hook repairs Jazz, he drives over to Devastator and transforms into ''nothing but his head''.
* When Devastator blasts the cave entrance open again, the falls are once again frozen!
* Skywarp and Starscream both have yellow nosecones as they transform back into robot mode en route to the space bridge.
* When the combined doohickeys zap Devastator back under control causing the Constructicons to disengage, the left arm transforms into Scrapper, while the right leg transforms into Bonecrusher.
* Megatron has a red Decepticon symbol when he orders the Constructicons to stop the drill.
* Third Devastator sequence: worst one yet! Scrapper's not really visible at all. ''Scavenger'' and Mixmaster form not only the legs but also half of Long Haul's bits (the same incomplete half that Long Haul himself formed the first time around!) Long Haul then ''splits in two'' to become the rest of Devastator's torso, including everything formed by Hook, ''and'' Bonecrusher and Scavenger's vehicle treads. Bonecrusher and ''Hook'' then form the arms. When he's finished forming, Devastator's torso plate is green instead of purple.
* Wheeljack's ears don't flash as he and Prime snicker at Chip's "Mr. Nobility" line.
* Though maintaining a consistent scale has [[Scale|never been a particularly important issue]] in Transformers fiction, this episode is a particularly notable offender, with Devastator's relative size fluctuating wildly: in some scenes Megatron appears to be almost half his height, whilst at other times the Autobots barely come up to the top of his ''foot''. In one scene, vehicle mode Bonecrusher seems to be almost as high as robot-mode Megatron. Chip's scaling is also wildly variable: when Sunstreaker rescues him from the cave, he appears knee-high to the Autobots, but in the very next scene he has suddenly become as large as Wheeljack.

===Continuity errors===
* Megatron's assertion that the Earth's core is the richest source of energy in [[Milky Way|the galaxy]] is not even remotely true, even within the bizarre realm of the cartoon's physics. Heck, just within our own little [[solar system]], the [[Sun]] is immeasurably more potent.
* Why the heck is Sunstreaker giving orders to a group that includes Prowl and Jazz?
* What kind of tree branch (growing out of a cliff, no less) is strong enough to support a falling Transformer?
* Jazz and Sunstreaker both use wrist-rockets to lower themselves into the canyon. According to the tech specs, that's really supposed to be Wheeljack's schtick.
* How does freezing the waterfall stop the whole river? Wouldn't it make more sense to break the dam that's diverting the river upstream?
* How did the Constructions not notice the Autobots as they were placing the Dominator Disks on them?
* How ''did'' Megatron figure out the Autobots' strategy?
* Is Devastator ''really'' the only one who can stop the drill? Can't anybody just shoot the thing at its source?
* Why do the Constructicons all feel the need to simultaneously transform to robot mode (then have a little out-of-character heroic chat) when ordered to transform to Devastator? This is one of the episodes where they are assumed to need to be in vehicle mode—which they are already in—to combine.
* The whole countdown to the Earth's core, down to the ''second'', is patently ridiculous. The boundary of the Earth's core is not nearly so neatly defined. And penetrating it with such a comparatively tiny drill would be unlikely to shatter the planet.
* While counting down the time before the drill hits the Earth's core, Prime says 10 seconds, then Megatron says 1 second immediately thereafter. Somehow, 9 seconds disappear without any editing or time lapse. A lot more than 1 second elapses before Devastator destroys the drill.
* How did Devastator get all the way from near the earth's surface to near its core so quickly? How did he slow himself at the end to avoid crashing? And how did he withstand the heat down there, when his component parts [[Heavy_Metal_War|are not even very keen on ordinary lava]]?
* Where did the fleeing Decepticons think they were ''going'', anyway?

===Continuity notes===
*Megatron takes a jab at Starscream's acting abilities, which we witnessed just [[A Prime Problem|one episode ago]]. He's no [[Shia LaBeouf|Beef]], but hey, he's just starting [[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2|his]] [[Starscream's Ghost|career]] at this point.
* Gadgets and powers: Everyone's arms are completely hollow in this ep. One character after the next retracts their hands into their wrists:
** Starscream reveals an improbably large drill in place of his retracted hand.
** Mirage has a tow cable in his wrist.
** Ironhide retracts his hands to fire an improbably huge torrent of blue liquid that freezes the waterfall.
** Sunstreaker, Jazz, and Wheeljack all retract their hands and replace them with wrist-rockets. Wheeljack is ''supposed'' to be able to do this according to his tech spec, but it's never been explicitly shown before (he flew without retracting his wrists in "[[A Plague of Insecticons]]" and "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]".)
** Jazz also has a grappling hook/tow line. Of all these gimmicks, this is the only one that's actually appeared before, way back in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]" and [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3|Part 3]].
** Hook uses his crane-mode hook as a welding tip.

===Real-world references===
* ''Star Wars'' sound effects:
** As often happens, Laserbeak gets the TIE Fighter engine sound just after he flies over the Autobots.

===Trivia===
* Prime sure goes along with the notion of enslaving one of his enemies pretty readily, huh? What happened to his ol' "Freedom is the Right of All Sentient Beings" schtick?
* After all the fuss the others go through while getting into the canyon (wrist rockets, grappling hook slides), Prowl just ''jumps'' down.
* Jazz skips his dominator disk onto Scavenger, like skipping a rock on water. Stylish!
* When Megatron orders a retreat, cat-mode Ravage flies off into the air alongside his comrades.
* Megatron stops Starscream from sniping the Autobots as Optimus Prime reels them up the cliff, arguing that killing six Autobots would be pointless since he plans on having Devastator destroy all the Autobots at the right moment. When that moment comes, there are still only (give or take) six Autobots to be had. Should have gone with your gut, Starscream.
* This episode is one of a trio, including "[[City of Steel]]" and "[[The Autobot Run]]", that was animated by the Korean studio [[AKOM]]. They are distinguished by simplistic art, prominent use of the Constructicons, surprisingly high frame rates, some Hanna-Barbara-style animation shortcuts, and various character model oddities, such as Optimus Prime's white backpack (which would show up again in "[[The Rebirth, Part 1|The Rebirth]]") and Chip Chase's blue jacket... not to mention a ''crapload'' of animation errors. Sheesh, AKOM.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 2 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 03: Stagione Due Parte Prima ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_core.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Core}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Talk:Terminus Blade

2012-04-28T05:14:36Z

99.39.88.159:

I don't want to break any rules, so to check: I need to wait until May 26th to expand this page, right? Am I allowed to write up a draft here or in my userspace in the meantime, or would that also be a violation?[[Special:Contributions/99.39.88.159|99.39.88.159]] 23:56, 27 April 2012 (EDT)
:If it's in the convention comic, the one-month wait thing doesn't apply, I believe. [[Toxitron (Animated)|Toxitron]]'s fiction section was filled in less than a week after last year's BotCon. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 00:07, 28 April 2012 (EDT)
::Thank you for your fast response! I'll put in what I've seen, and please everyone correct it as necessary.[[Special:Contributions/99.39.88.159|99.39.88.159]] 00:46, 28 April 2012 (EDT)
::EDIT: Okay, I put in everything I could find. I'm sure I made a mistake somewhere, so I would really appreciate if someone with the club comic could copyedit it.[[Special:Contributions/99.39.88.159|99.39.88.159]] 01:14, 28 April 2012 (EDT)

Terminus Blade

2012-04-28T05:13:40Z

99.39.88.159:

:''The Terminus Blade is the alternate universe counterpart of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] from the [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]] [[continuity family]].''

The '''Terminus Blade''' is a legendary weapon that can bring [[Omega Terminus]] under heel, but also connect and even ''move'' worlds. However, it doesn't seem able to keep the world from shattering and taking out the universe it came from...so remember not to accidentally use it as a can opener.

==Fiction==
===''Shattered Glass''===
[[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] spoke of the Terminus Blade, pointing out that its location was unknown and that, without it, nobody could hope to fully control Omega Terminus. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

The legendary Terminus Blade was once stored within the [[Vaults of the Unknown]], but at some point it was stolen, almost certainly by [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]]. Regardless of the thief's identity, the blade was in the depraved Autobot's possession by the time he escaped the [[Paradron]] prison planet with his band of Autobots. After having his minion [[Wheeljack (SG)|Wheeljack]] use a [[Stellar Spanner]] to open up a portal to the [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon]] Earth, Ultra Magnus lead his team into battle against the local Autobots at [[Ironworks Base]], and was able to deal with whatever they dished out by wielding the Terminus Blade. When [[Treadshot (SG)|Treadshot]]'s team of [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon]] Decepticons arrived on the scene, Ultra Magnus simply summoned forth a wave of light to stun the heroic Autobots and Decepticons, and disappeared. Treadshot tracked him to deep within the base, but arrived too late to prevent Magnus from using the blade to "sow the eddy"—by thrusting the Terminus Blade into a space bridge projector, he created an enormous rift in space time that soon swallowed the entire planet and moved it back to his home dimension. {{storylink|INVASION!}}

[[Category:Blades]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass weapons]]

Terminus Blade

2012-04-28T05:11:41Z

99.39.88.159: summary of ability in lead...eh?

:''The Terminus Blade is the alternate universe counterpart of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] from the [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]] [[continuity family]].''

The '''Terminus Blade''' is a legendary weapon that can bring [[Omega Terminus]] under heel, but also connect and even ''move'' worlds. However, it doesn't seem able to keep the world from shattering and taking out the universe it came from...so remember not to accidentally use it as a can opener.

==Fiction==
===''Shattered Glass''===
[[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] spoke of the Terminus Blade, pointing out that its location was unknown and that, without it, nobody could hope to fully control Omega Terminus. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

The legendary Terminus Blade was once stored within the [[Vaults of the Unknown]], but at some point it was stolen, almost certainly by [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]]. Regardless of the thief's identity, the blade was in the depraved Autobot's possession by the time he escaped the [[Paradron]] prison planet with his band of Autobots. After having his minion [[Wheeljack (SG)|Wheeljack]] use a [[Stellar Spanner]] to open up a portal to the [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon]] Earth, Ultra Magnus lead his team into battle against the local Autobots at [[Ironworks Base]], and was able to deal with whatever they dished out by wielding the Terminus Blade. When [[Treadshot (SG)|Treadshot]]'s team of [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon]] Decepticons arrived on the scene, Ultra Magnus simply summoned forth a wave of light to stun the heroic Autobots and Decepticons, and disappeared. Treadshot tracked him to deep within the base, but arrived too late to prevent Magnus from using the blade to "sow the eddy"—by thrusting the Terminus Blade into a space bridge projector, he created an enormous rift in space time that soon swallowed the entire planet. {{storylink|INVASION!}}

[[Category:Blades]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass weapons]]

Terminus Blade

2012-04-28T05:05:11Z

99.39.88.159: /* Shattered Glass */ not sure how to appropriately wrap the Ultra Magnus stuff around the Rodimus bit, please advise.

:''The Terminus Blade is the alternate universe counterpart of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] from the [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]] [[continuity family]].''

The '''Terminus Blade''' is a legendary weapon that can bring [[Omega Terminus]] under heel.

==Fiction==
===''Shattered Glass''===
[[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] spoke of the Terminus Blade, pointing out that its location was unknown and that, without it, nobody could hope to fully control Omega Terminus. {{Storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

The legendary Terminus Blade was once stored within the [[Vaults of the Unknown]], but at some point it was stolen, almost certainly by [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]]. Regardless of the thief's identity, the blade was in the depraved Autobot's possession by the time he escaped the [[Paradron]] prison planet with his band of Autobots. After having his minion [[Wheeljack (SG)|Wheeljack]] use a [[Stellar Spanner]] to open up a portal to the [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon]] Earth, Ultra Magnus lead his team into battle against the local Autobots at [[Ironworks Base]], and was able to deal with whatever they dished out by wielding the Terminus Blade. When [[Treadshot (SG)|Treadshot]]'s team of [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon]] Decepticons arrived on the scene, Ultra Magnus simply summoned forth a wave of light to stun the heroic Autobots and Decepticons, and disappeared. Treadshot tracked him to deep within the base, but arrived too late to prevent Magnus from using the blade to "sow the eddy"—by thrusting the Terminus Blade into a space bridge projector, he created an enormous rift in space time that soon swallowed the entire planet. {{storylink|INVASION!}}

[[Category:Blades]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass weapons]]

Talk:Terminus Blade

2012-04-28T04:46:25Z

99.39.88.159:

Talk:Terminus Blade

2012-04-28T03:56:38Z

99.39.88.159:

Talk:Terminus Blade

2012-04-28T03:56:16Z

99.39.88.159: New page: I don't want to break any rules, so to check: I need to wait until May 26th, right? Am I allowed to write up a draft here or in my userspace in the meantime, or would that also be a violat...

I don't want to break any rules, so to check: I need to wait until May 26th, right? Am I allowed to write up a draft here or in my userspace in the meantime, or would that also be a violation?[[Special:Contributions/99.39.88.159|99.39.88.159]] 23:56, 27 April 2012 (EDT)

Talk:Alpha Trion/Shattered Glass

2012-04-28T03:55:00Z

99.39.88.159: /* Alpha Trion's Sword */

==Alpha Trion's Identity==
So, this would be the old coot that Shattered Glass Optimus and crew shuffled off?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 03:13, 11 May 2008 (UTC)
: Maybe. Alpha Trion's description of his home universe doesn't totally mesh with what we're shown in Shattered Glass. He says his world was at peace and the war was over. But SG Prime dumped his "Old One" seemingly in the middle of that world's conflict. Though it would make sense, personality-wise, it would require A3 to lie. Not outside the realm of possibility, but not something we can totally count on. A trivia note about the distinct possibility is in order, so long as we don't overdue it. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 03:16, 11 May 2008 (UTC)
:: I might note that the apparent discrepancy between A3's description and the "Shattered" reality as we know it can be explained by several means. 1) A3 is lying (as you, Walky, suggest), 2) Sideswipe is lying (unlikely), 3) It might be important to note when A3 is pulled out of the Shattered reality. We don't really get that strongly that A3 was "dumped" ''by'' Prime (although this is certainly likely), nor that it occurred in the "middle" of the conflict. It could, for example, be before the Decepticons were a force to be reckoned with, and Prime was ruling his world with an iron fist. We definitely get the impression that the Decepticon rebellion had to build up from almost nothing, and that this took a long-time grass-roots effort. 4) Perhaps A3's craziness extends to how he viewed even his home universe. He honestly ''thinks'' that his world was at peace, but is incapable of comprehending the full reality due to his madness.--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 16:59, 22 May 2008 (UTC)
:::Just got the latest issue in the mail, and it sounds even more unlikely that he comes from the Shatterverse. Alpha Trion to Skyfall: "This sword was not originally mine. It belonged to a Decepticon leader named 'Slaughter'. It contains much of his original programming, encrypted so deeply that it is impossible to change or remove. The bearer of the sword is under constant assault by the thoughts of an ancient and evil mind. [...] But these many years, I have resisted this sword's evil influence. I believe you embody a similar strength of character." While it's ''possible'' that Trion is a warmongering Autobot who sees the peace-loving Decepticons as "evil," his fear of the sword seems out of place in that scenario; I would expect contempt. Plus he's giving it to an Autobot who has shown no signs of the Shatterversal inversion, and Trion certainly would've figured out by this point that the Shatterverse isn't the norm. And on top of it all, "Slaughter" is an unlikely name for a heroic Decepticon. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 21:22, 30 May 2008 (UTC)
::::Of course, that gets into the "Alpha Trion as unreliable narrator" issue still.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 22:59, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

::::I'll add to the above that there seems to be no indication that A3 got this sword from a Shattered Universe Decepticon, even assuming he's telling the truth about that part. (I confess I don't have my copy yet, so feel free to correct me on that). He may have picked up the sword some time after his departure from his "home" universe. "Slaughter" is a perfectly likely name for a non-heroic Decepticon....--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 23:51, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
:::::I suppose that's true; Slaughter could've been a denizen of Axiom Nexus, or maybe A3 had traveled to other universes between the Shatterverse and the TTverse. Ultimately, I expect some kind of closure on A3's character by the end of this storyline, so hopefully this discussion will be moot soon. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 23:55, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

So, what's the deal with this one? why do you make him sound so bad? ("Transcendent" is hard to get, in Europe)--[[Special:Contributions/81.242.160.202|81.242.160.202]] 21:09, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
:Because he is an SG Autobot, who are bad. --[[User:LokitheGrammarNazi|LokitheGrammarNazi]] 16:02, 19 September 2010 (EDT)

Doesn't anyone figure that some completely different characters happen to have the same name because one of them changed their original name? Maybe SG Alpha Trion's original name wasn't good enough for him so he changed into something he thought was original, much like how two completely different humans can have the same name because of a change. Of course, SG Alpha Trion probably wouldn't have let anone call him by his fictionally real name so we wouldn't ever hear about it in the canon. With that being said, it could be possible that the real Apha Trion is a good guy, not some transformer with multiple-personality-disorder. --[[User:LokitheGrammarNazi|LokitheGrammarNazi]] 16:02, 19 September 2010 (EDT)

== fiction ==

So anyone willing to fill the fiction part?--[[User:GUIGUI|GUIGUI]] 13:34, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

== Waaaaay behind. ==

Honestly, I'd write this myself if I had access to club comics, but this is in dire need of a rewrite, and potentially even a move to [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion (Shattered Glass)]].--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 18:23, 29 April 2009 (EDT)
:Is Skyfall even dead or what? Slaughter's page says so, anyway, but so much Timeline stuff is behind the times. [[User:Antimatter|Antimatter]] 19:24, 29 April 2009 (EDT)

== A3's Status as the first Shattered Glass toy ==

I'd say that's debatable at best, seeing as Dreadwind and Darkwind are Robot Masters Smokesniper and Gigant Bomb, who came out four years prior to the actual set. --[[User:-Blackout-|-Blackout-]] 12:38, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
:Excellent point! A repurpose is a repurpose is a repurpose. This is why trivia notes like 'A is the first / last / biggest / smallest / only' are pointless. [However, as a good candidate for being one of the 13, he may well be the first Shattered Glass CHARACTER ... not that that matters;)]--[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 13:01, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
::I really don't think he's a candidate for being one of the Thirteen. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 13:11, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
:::Neither do I. If it has a mirrorverse counterpart, it's not a multiversal singularity, and therefore, it cannot be one of the thirteen. --[[User:-Blackout-|-Blackout-]] 13:29, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
::::Forest Lee has talked about how multiversal singularities can be influenced by the dimensions they're in, but I doubt that sort of thing would turn a Singularity Alpha Trion into a murderous jackass with delusions of multiversal conquest. And G1 A3 is far from the oldest Transformer discovered in the Matrix (as seen in The Return of Optimus Prime), so... --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 13:40, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
:::::So.....in a nutshell, A3 isn't a multiversal singularity. End of story, verdict has been reached. Next person to say otherwise without any plausible evidence to back up their theory will be murdered. With SG A3's sword. :) --[[User:-Blackout-|-Blackout-]] 14:19, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
::::::You mean Slaughter's sword, right? Anyway, none of this matters - that was a tongue-in-cheek remark. My real point is, it's wrong to call him the first toy. --[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 14:35, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
:::::::Right now, I'd write a long and difficult-to-read essay on how Slaughter doesn't exist, but I won't because I'd bore you to death. Anyway, Dreadwind and Darkwind are the first actual toys. --[[User:-Blackout-|-Blackout-]] 14:47, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
::::::::You'll get no argument from me on [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=60809&view=findpost&p=1292084 Alpha Trion not being one of the 13].
::::::::As for the toy thing, I guess you could still say he's the first SG character to get a toy officially sold as that character if you really wanted.
::::::::(And just to be utterly pedantic, I think either [[Demolishor (SG)|Demolishor]], [[Bludgeon (SG)|Bludgeon]], or one of [[Holepunch (SG)|the]] [[Nightstick (SG)|three]] [[Pinpointer (SG)|Targetmasters]] are the first SG toys in terms of the whole toyline, at least going by the years on their respective pages.) --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 15:33, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
:Well I did write that point before old toys where repurposed, but we could rephrase it as being the first official SG toy, as seing the other trivia point his bio implies that he was always meant to be from there.[[User:Dead Metal|Dead Metal]] 15:44, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
::Notion has not been seconded.
::SG A3 was originally a Classics toy. He is just as repurposed as any other toy.
:: *flees objects thrown by Dead Metal* --[[User:-Blackout-|-Blackout-]] 13:27, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
:::Yeah, toy Timelines Alpha Trion even has a red Autobot symbol. I think the toy was technically repurposed. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 13:38, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
::::I guess it depends on your definition of "repurposed".
::::To me, "repurposing" means saying that a toy that started out as one character also represents a completely different character.
::::But, correct me if I'm misunderstanding, Timelines Alpha Trion and Shattered Glass Alpha Trion are the exact same character. It's just that, at the time period represented by his toy, he was in the TransTech universe (hence "Timelines"). Does that still count as repurposed? --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 13:48, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
:::::Yeah, didn't Transcendent start pretty hot on the heels of Alpha Trion's release at BotCon?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 13:55, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
::::::"The Alpha Trion represented by this toy is the first Shattered Glass ''character'', predating the first SG story by a good year." (It's not really a recton either... they were painting him in a sinister light from his first appearance.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 13:57, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
:::::::Yeah, I agree with those who have said this doesn't count as a "repurposing." To me, it just looks like character evolution as the writer(s) figured out who he was through the process of storytelling, first via the bio and then the comic. But the whole thing is fuzzy enough that I don't think a statement like "first SG toy" counts either. It's a grey area that would gain no benefit from attempted definition. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]]
:::::::If Pete Sinclair wasn't just giving me misdirection, he said they weren't sure exactly what to do with their Alpha Trion toy, story-wise, at the time of his release at BotCon 2007. So the "He's the Shattered Glass version" probably came later. So, TECHNICALLY repurposed (the "technically" is important), but PRACTICALLY? Not really, no. I wouldn't list him on the "repurposing" page, anyhow. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 14:03, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
::::::::I have to disagree with Rosicrucian. I just did a check, and Transcendent rolled out eight-nine months after BotCon. I don't think that's what you call "pretty hot on the heels". --[[User:-Blackout-|-Blackout-]] 14:05, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
::::::::That's why I avoided 'first SG toy' in my suggestion above and instead defined it in terms of the character. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 14:24, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
:::::::::If we are going to make a note, I like Derik's phrasing. I just find it an interestingly weird edge-case to figure out whether we mention it or not. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 14:47, 14 August 2009 (EDT)
::::::::::I find repurposing more likely, since universal streams are numbered by date, and the main SG universe gets an April [[2008]] number, while his toy was released during [[BotCon]] 2007. So, I guess there are a couple of ''absolutely'' identical Alpha Trions throughout the TF muktiverse(which isn't unlikely).[[User:Item42|Item42]] 02:36, 16 February 2010 (EST)
:::::::::::As I've kind of explained in multiple edit summaries already, since Reunification is a part of the main continuity, that angle doesn't help. Especially since we don't use the universal streams in determining this sort of thing anyway. (In fact, we really don't use universal streams to determine... anything, AFAIK. You shouldn't dwell on them except as a bit of fun trivia.)
:::::::::::And, if you check [[Alpha Trion (disambiguation)|Trion's disambig]], there ''are'', in fact, lots of nigh-identical Trions out there. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 03:05, 16 February 2010 (EST)
Any reason we don't just list the toy as both G1 A3 and SGA3? I mean especially with that trivia note about his bio being "super misleading" when there's no reason to assume that the bio is actually meant to go with this Alpha Trion (in fact that note seems like a whiny fan trying to explain his/her fannon as cannon no offense; it just seems like a failed attempt at justifying the toy as specically Shattered glass A3) I don't see why we don't just put the toy as both charachters at the very least. Actually next Botcon someone should ask if the Botcon Alpha Trion toy represents both the original and Shattered Glass charachters or just the SG. Anyhow if BW Megatron's toys can be listed on G1 MEg's page because of how they were released originally, A3's case is just as compelling to me.--[[User:BlackStarscream|BlackStarscream]] 17:13, 23 July 2011 (EDT)
===Aha!===
Maybe this is how it works: The SG [[universal stream]] is not numbered according to the Old One's release date because it represents him while he was pretending to be ''not'' evil. Which is why it hasn't got a purple Autobot logo. It's the first toy of an SG character, but it doesn't represent something within the SG ''universe''.

More importantly, why does the ''Notes'' section have this bit:
{{quote|He just "evolved" into what we now have with the publishing of [[Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]] stories featuring him}}
He mostly appeared in the fan club magazine stories, which aren't called [[Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]. So, shouldn't a more appropriate label (like [[Fun Publications]]) be used? I'd simply change it myself without asking this, but I'm not sure.[[User:Item42|Item42]] 08:24, 15 March 2010 (EDT)
:The universal stream is always [[Universal stream#Deciphering the terminology|numbered/labeled according to the ''fiction'']], with the actual stories taking precedence over toy bios. Everything SG thus gets its designator solely from the BotCon issue that started the storyline.
:You do have a point about the Timelines section, though. I presume people just tend to reflexively think of everything released through the Fanclub as Timelines. (It actually never occurred to me that the TFCC issues weren't considered to be Timelines.) --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 12:46, 15 March 2010 (EDT)

== Alpha Trion's Sword ==
So it kind of occurred to me today... in "Reunification: Part 4" Aquarius says that Alpha Trion is connected somehow to the Omega Terminus. Which Rodimus in "Dungeons & Dinobots" says is controlled by the Terminus Blade. So now I find myself wondering if Alpha Trion's sword = that there Terminus Blade. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 19:13, 25 October 2009 (EDT)
: That seems likely! It's probably the SG counterpart of the Key to Vector Sigma. (And would explain why it's one of the few things that can pierce Skyfall's personal forceshield.) --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 13:29, 15 March 2010 (EDT)
::I had always figured that Skyfall's death was just a matter of the fate manipulation that seemed to revolve around the five (A personal forcefield that literally runs on plot? Heh.), but your further connection makes more sense.
::Of course, this all goes a long way towards explaining why the SGverse is so messed up. We should probably be thankful the Matrix doesn't seem to exist.
::In any case, I'll be interested to see if the last couple SG stories touch more on the Trion/Terminus connection in any way. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 15:15, 15 March 2010 (EDT)

{{quote|* ''Timelines'' Alpha Trion's profile card is super-misleading! It doesn't mention how he's evil at all! Just stuff about how he knows lots of things and has advised lots of Transformers, which is technically true. And how we don't know much about him yet. It doesn't say he's ''not'' evil, but...|page}}
That would be foreshadowing if it mentioned anything about his true nature, at worse case a spoiler.
:Avoiding spoilers, but the answer is no, it's not Alpha Trion's sword.[[Special:Contributions/99.39.88.159|99.39.88.159]] 23:55, 27 April 2012 (EDT)

Alpha Trion/Shattered Glass

2012-04-28T03:54:42Z

99.39.88.159: /* Notes */ Again, avoiding spoilers, but this is not only pure speculation but explicitly false as well

{{factions|sgAutobot}}
{{disambig3.5|the evil Autobot|his heroic counterpart|Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion}}
:''Alpha Trion is an evil [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:Alphatriontimelinestranscendent.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Eventually one of them was bound to go senile.]]
'''Alpha Trion''', the '''Old One''', is from a universe where the [[Decepticon]]s were defeated long ago. He is also the owner of a sword taken from a dead Decepticon named [[Slaughter]], a sword which can corrupt the mind of the wielder towards evil. But an act of sabotage took him from his original universe and whisked him here, to [[Axiom Nexus]], where he fights an underground war against the arrogant [[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]], who aim to control the populace with mind control devices.

None of the above is true.

Sure, ''this'' Alpha Trion may seem like a nice old robot [[Alpha Trion (disambiguation)|like all the others]], but wait until you're introduced to his ceiling of mutilated corpses! Then the web of lies will begin to unravel...

{{note| In 2010 Hasbro introduced a [[retcon]] naming Alpha Trion as a member of the [[Thirteen|Thirteen original Transformers]], and thus a likely [[Multiversal singularity|multiversal singularity]] (meaning, basically, that all Alpha Trions in the [[multiverse]] would be the same individual). Due to the lengthy histories many of these incarnations had prior to the retcon—and in particular, the massive contradiction to the idea that this version of the character seemingly represents—we have opted to leave their pages as separate entities, and merely note the retcon on each individual page. For the Alpha Trion that is definitively one of the 13 see: [[Alpha Trion (Prime)]]}}

==Fiction==
===''TransTech'' and ''Shattered Glass''===
Alpha Trion acted as an adviser to [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] in a [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon|shattered universe]]. Prime had little patience for the Old One's lies and scheming, and so Alpha Trion was banished from this universe, {{storylink|Shattered Glass}} cast through the prototype [[stellar spanner]] that Alpha Trion had been developing. {{storylink|Blitzwing Bop}} Alpha Trion left a [[:Category:Alpha Trion's acolytes|secret cadre of loyalists]] behind who would wait for his return. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}}

The outcast sage found himself in the [[multiverse|multiversal]] hub city of [[Axiom Nexus]], in [[Nexus 208.0 Epsilon|the ancient, super-advanced universe]] of the TransTech Transformers. Rather than admit defeat, Alpha Trion plotted anew, and gathered another group of loyalists. [[Maximal]]s [[Blackarachnia (TransTech)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Nightscream (TransTech)|Nightscream]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s [[Scavenger (TransTech)|Scavenger]] and [[Immorticon]] soon fell under his wing. He easily turned their feelings against the TransTech government, as they had dealt with corruption in their native universe, and once Alpha Trion had also accumulated a skilled Transformer named [[Topspin (Classics)|Topspin]], the experiments began. With Topspin's help, Alpha Trion was able to move the sparks of his Maximal and Predacon acolytes into new TransTech bodies {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|''TransTech'' Blackarachnia's profile}} as well as a [[Bulletbike (TransTech)|few other unfortunates]]. {{storylink|I, Lowtech}} But Topspin himself was the piece to a larger puzzle, and one that Alpha Trion, with his intimate knowledge of Cybertronian lore, had devious plans for. All he needed were the other pieces. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 2}}

[[Image:Alphatrionceilingofcorpses.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Dammit, A3, you show them the rec room first. THEN the ceiling of corpses.]]
Alpha Trion soon found these pieces. He was assigned to three newcomers to Axiom Nexus, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]], [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], and [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]], and instructed to help them acclimate to their new dimension. However, after Breakaway was abducted right under their noses by [[Shockwave (TransTech)|mechs unknown]], {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 1}} Alpha Trion revealed his real plan. He revealed that the TransTechs that ruled over the city were an untrustworthy and manipulative lot, and that there were personality inhibitors broadcast through satellites in this [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron's]] orbit. Furthermore, they had a habit of abducting certain mechs of interest, and were likely probing the slag out of poor Breakaway somewhere. Skyfall and Landquake began to feel uncomfortable, so Alpha Trion tried to reassure them. He led the two to his room full of ceiling-suspended TransTech corpses. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 2}}

For some reason, that didn't work. Alpha Trion's helper, Topspin, arrived to explain, noting that none of the corpses were actually dead, as their [[spark]]s were kept safe elsewhere. These were nothing more than their experiments in trying to help mechs escape Axiom Nexus, as its inhabitants' bodies are tagged. Speaking privately with Skyfall, Alpha Trion gave him his own sword for safekeeping. He warned it once belonged to a Decepticon named Slaughter, and though it could influence terribly the thoughts of the bearer, Alpha Trion believed Skyfall had as strong a spirit as himself. Should Alpha Trion fall, Skyfall would have to keep it. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 3}}

Nightscream brought word to Alpha Trion: He had learned where the TransTech had taken Breakaway! Alpha Trion informed his acolytes that they would attack that very night. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 4}} Gathering Nightscream, Scavenger, Blackarachnia, Immorticon, Topspin, and an increasingly suspicious Skyfall and Landquake, Alpha Trion stormed the [[Transwarp Complex]] in search of Shockwave's lab and the Transit Room. After he killed the guards and ran [[Depth Charge (TransTech)|Depth Charge]] through with his sword, he reminded Skyfall of the terrible influence of his evil weapon. He took Skyfall, Landquake, and Immorticon with him towards the lab and ordered the others to occupy the Transit Room. Unfortunately, [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]] was in their way. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 5}} It wasn't long before the TransTech military commander struck a devastating blow, mutilating one side of Alpha Trion's face. But he and the two multiversal hitchhikers made their getaway (with Breakaway in tow) as Megatron was busy reducing Immorticon to rubble.

[[Image:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"You don't even get the non-attending exclusive package."]]
As the group neared the Transit Room, Alpha Trion told Skyfall of his great importance, how back in his original universe, [[Vector Sigma]] had told him that "[[Primus]] is calling his first sons home." Unfortunately for Skyfall, Alpha Trion had different plans. While the others disappeared through the Transit Room into Alpha Trion's original universe, he impaled Skyfall with his sword, killing him. Skyfall's conscience and strength of will would have served as a distraction in Alpha Trion's coming rise to power, and "Reunification" could take place with one of "them" dead. He then ordered Nightscream to drag the body through the portal with them, as Alpha Trion had a universe to conquer. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}

Alpha Trion and the others appeared back in his home universe within his old lab. Though Alpha Trion wished to get directly at the task at hand, Breakaway and Landquake obviously had questions about Skyfall's demise. When pressed on the issue, Alpha Trion told Landquake that Skyfall had been shot from behind on their way through the portal, but Breakaway was quick to note that Skyfall had a blade wound, not a gun wound. Alpha Trion sighed, and as more of his acolytes (ones native to this universe) arrived, he called for them to seize the two... and Topspin. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}} Topspin was puzzled, to say the least, as he had been very loyal to Alpha Trion. This act of betrayal unhinged Topspin, and after he killed [[Kickback (SG)|one of Alpha Trion's acolytes]], the three were able to escape Alpha Trion's lab with Skyfall's body. Alpha Trion decided to move his group to another of his labs and hunt them down another day. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 2}}

Some weeks later, Alpha Trion communicated with [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] that his plans were in place and he was ready to strike. [[Remote Patrol Six|Rodimus' assassins]] would kill Optimus Prime at the same time [[Cyclonus (SG)|Trion's agents]] killed [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], thus paving the way for the two of them to conquer Cybertron and [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 3}}

After [[Remote Patrol Six]] attempted (and miserably failed) to kill [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]], Alpha Trion showed up with [[Sky Lynx (SG)|Sky Lynx]] and [[Nightscream (TransTech)|Nightscream]] to try and kill Prime himself, only to be introduced to [[Omega Doom|Omega Doom's]] cannon. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}}

He survived the cannon blast, though the Decepticons had taken his stellar spanner back to their base, and destroyed it after [[Nexus Prime]] and [[Aquarius (SG)|Aquarius]] passed through it to parts unknown. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

==Toys==
===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-AlphaTrion.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Old people can't drive, but they sure can fence.]]
* '''Alpha Trion'''/'''Weirdwolf''' (souvenir add-on, BotCon 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Sword, missile, Cyber Planet Key

: A bagged set of Alpha Trion, [[Beta Maxx]] and [[Weirdwolf]] was released at [[BotCon 2007]] as a souvenir set add-on, limited to 1400 pieces. Alpha Trion was a [[retool]] of [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] [[Vector Prime]], [[redeco]]ed in purple, white, and red, plus a new head.

: Alpha Trion transforms into a large Cybertronian space cruiser with "solar panel" wings. His nosecone has a spring-loaded missile launcher at the tip. Inserting his [[Cyber Planet Key]] (painted gold to resemble the [[Key to Vector Sigma]]) does not activate any sounds, unlike Vector Prime's toy. Alpha Trion has the more flexible translucent plastic parts ([[for safety reasons]]) of the [[Hasbro]] version of the mold.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/BCAlphaTrion/alphatrion.htm More information on Alpha Trion at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
* ''Timelines'' Alpha Trion's profile card is super-misleading! It doesn't mention how he's evil at all! Just stuff about how he knows lots of things and has advised lots of Transformers, which is technically true. And how we don't know much about him yet. It doesn't say he's ''not'' evil, but...
* However, the profile card does state that [[Beta Maxx]] is his "constant companion." We've never seen Beta Maxx in any fiction, despite the numerous appearances of this Alpha Trion thus far.
* The situation with Alpha Trion is a little difficult. He may have been intended to be part of the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' toyline, but never made an appearance in that universe fiction-wise. The toy's bio also does not contradict its status of being a ''Shattered Glass'' toy. He also just "evolved" into what we now have with the publishing of ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (fiction)|Shattered Glass]]'' stories featuring him, but he was always kind of hinted at being sinister, so he could either be the first "official" ''Shattered Glass'' toy, or he could technically be a [[repurposing]].

[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Convention-original characters]]
[[Category:Elderly Transformers]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass Autobots]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]

Terminus Blade

2012-04-28T03:51:36Z

99.39.88.159: Not replacing this (to avoid spoilers), but this is at the very least plainly false

Talk:Magmatron (BW)

2012-04-28T03:50:40Z

99.39.88.159: /* "Official" dinosaur names */ new section

Is Magmatron really a Fuzor? --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 09:34, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

:Aaaaand looking up the answer myself, I see that he is. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 09:39, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

----

I remebre Magmatron's box was japanified and all, but does anyone remember if he had the same package backstory blurb as the other Dinobots? If he did it would suggest to me that, like them, he's actually technorganic (despite not looking it). [[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 12:48, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

== Magmatron's Bio Card ==

Does Magmatron's bio card say that he's a "heroic ''Maximal''"? [[User:JW|JW]] 21:48, 4 January 2008 (UTC)
:[http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/4980/TechDinobotMagmatron.jpg Yes.] --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 22:24, 4 January 2008 (UTC)

== "Official" dinosaur names ==

According to the English instructions, its pieces are "Plesiosaur", "Raptor", and "Pteranodon". Only one of those is near correct, but that's what it says. What do you guys want to do about that?[[Special:Contributions/99.39.88.159|99.39.88.159]] 23:50, 27 April 2012 (EDT)

MediaWiki talk:Community Portal

2011-11-27T03:44:27Z

99.39.88.159: /* Spam-dalism */

__NEWSECTIONLINK__

This is the place for discussion of topics that affect the entire wiki. Some topics that would ordinarily be here have merited their own pages:

{{chapters|title=Specific Discussion Subjects|align=left|content=
<div class="list-header">'''Moving From Wikia:'''</div>
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Arriving|Arriving]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Leaving|Leaving]]
* [[Transformers Wiki:Community Portal/Complaints|Complaints]]
 <div class="list-header">'''New Ad Policy:'''</div>
* [[Transformers Wiki:Ads|Ads]]
 <div class="list-header">'''Bookworm Database-Crash:'''</div>
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Damage Control Central|Damage Control Central]]
* [[Project:Bookworm Crash]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Leaving2|Leaving Take 2]]
 <div class="list-header">'''Server Move:'''</div>
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Arriving2|Arriving Take 2]]
 <div class="list-header">'''Relicensing:'''</div>
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Relicensing|Relicensing]]
 <div class="list-header">'''Dealing With Vandalism:'''</div>
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Vandalism|Vandalism]]
 <div class="list-header">'''GoBots Sister Wiki:'''</div>
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/GoBots|Discussion on the place of GoBots in this wiki]]
}} 

{{:{{FULLPAGENAMEE}}/Archive}}


== Aligned Timeline ==

I'm going to try and take a stab at creating an Aligned timeline that unites everything we know about the franchise(s) so far. Any help would be greatly appreciated. [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 09:48, 17 October 2011 (EDT)

== Help Wanted ==

Hello one and all. I'm here representing a newly created Role-Playing forum that is based in the Transformers Universe. We're in the early stages yet, and are looking for people to help get the ball rolling. Since this site seems to lack a dedicated forum (where requests like these would usually be made) and I haven't seen any other way to effectively say my piece in front of a large audience, I thought that posting here was the best way to "advertise" us, as it were. I sincerely apologize if this was the wrong move on our part, or if I've breached protocol at all, but I can assure everyone that our intentions aren't malign. Those interested, please contact me using any of the ways that I have listed on my username page here on this site. I won't tempt fate by linking our website here directly =P

Once again, you all have my sincere greetings, and I hope to hear from you soon. Also, as a side note: the difference in quality between this page and the transformers wikia is amazing. [[User:Rathian Warrior|Rathian Warrior]] 23:50, 3 October 2011 (EDT)
:I'm not sure if you've crossed any lines, and frankly, you were polite enough about it that it's not a big deal, but you could always buy some ad space if you want to raise awareness of your forum. It's cheap! There's usually a link on every page around the banners, but if you didn't catch it, you can follow this link: [https://www.projectwonderful.com/advertisehere.php?id=25311&type=4 Project Wonderful TFWiki Page]--[[User:McFly|McFly]] 16:13, 8 November 2011 (EST)

== "Fictional" and "real" categories ==
I think we need to come up with a consistent way to distinguish categories of things that are real and categories of things that have appeared in fiction. So far, we've skimmed the issue by using synonyms, such as [[:Category:Companies|companies]] and [[:Category:Businesses|businesses]], but that doesn't really work for things like [[:Category:Magazines|magazines]], which is already used for real magazines. Currently, we have [[:Category:Fictional books]], [[:Category:Fictional video games]] that consider the fictional entities "different". On the other hand, we have [[:Category:Real-world events by day]] and [[:Category:Real world films]]. We focus more on the fictional aspect of Transformers, so it makes sense to not point out the fictionality in categories, but "real world" sounds awkward to some. Which one should we use? [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 00:26, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:I thought I'd cheat and see how some of the other fictional Wikis deal with the problem. Three different approaches I saw:
:*[http://tardis.wikia.com/ Doctor Who wiki] has a [http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Real_world "Real World" category] for real world stuff and in most cases the categories for real world things are at "Real world X".
:*[http://wookiepedia.org/ Wookiepedia] goes the parenthetical route, with "Books" and "Books (real-world)". Though they also have one or two like "Real world companies".
:*[http://stargate.wikia.com/ Stargate wiki] has "Books" versus "Stargate books" for real world books.
:I kinda like the parenthetical approach that Wookiepedia have taken. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 03:11, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

::I'd favor pointing out the status of both categories, just to make absolutely clear what they are for. The words can be "Fictional" and "Real-world" (I notice both real-world categories use a different spelling. Whichever it's gonna be (if), only one spelling should be used). "Nonfictional" kinda works as an alternative, would "Real-world" be disliked. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 04:35, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::If we go that route, I think "real-world" should be used, since "real world" is a lot more easier to fix than the other parsing. I like the Wookiepedia approach, but I'm not sure that's enough to change how we already do categories. The idea to label both categories sounds nice, but "Fictional X" seems incongruous with unlabeled categories, such as "weapons", "technology", etc.; considering that our main focus is the fiction, I'm leaning towards only labeling the real stuff. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 13:02, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

::::I think it would be advantageous to put a {{tl|disambig2}} at the top, so people could easily go from the fictional to the real world category too. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 16:30, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::Yeah, I think I put that on [[:Category:Films]] a while ago. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:57, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::::Speaking of this, I found we handle [[:Category:Films]] like [[:Category:Real people]], wouldn't this be some, um, confusing? It's just, somehow, reverse? (Except for the fictional films like ''Honoji'') According to the logic of how we handle [[:Category:Real people]], shouldn't we place films like ''40-Year-Old Virgin'' or ''Godzilla'' in the [[:Category:Real world films]]? --'''[[User:TX55|TX55]]'''''[[User talk:TX55|TALK]]'' 23:04, 6 September 2011 (EDT)
::::::::Godzilla doesn't go in "Real world films" because it's not a real world ''Transformers'' film. The Transformers is implied in that category name. Presumably we could have a "Real films" category for Godzilla, etc, but I'm not sure it's worth doing. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 23:53, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

::::::We shouldn't use "fictional X" for two reasons. One, there things like [[As the Kitchen Sinks]] that are fictional even within the fictional Transformers universe. Second, the wiki is written in-universe by default and putting [[Big Steve's Used Cars]] in a "fictional businesses" category would kind of break that. Within Transformers fiction, "Big Steve's Used Cars" is not a fictional company, but "As the Kitchen Sinks" is a fictional TV show. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 18:47, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::::In-universe, As the Kitchen Sinks is not a fictional show. It depicts fictional events and fictional people, yes, but the show itself, as a piece of entertainment, is not fictional. I do get your point, as we actually have things like [[Frankenstein]] that are two layers of fiction removed from us. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 19:18, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

::::::::Yes, of course. I meant, in-universe, ''As the Kitchen Sinks'' is a work of fiction, whereas "Big Steve's Used Cars" is a real business that sells real used cars to real people. Have I been saying it wrong all this time? Wasn't ''Buck Rogers'' a fictional TV show? Anyway, it sounds like you got my point. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 21:14, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::::::Or, judging by the fact categories like "Magazines" in used for magazines in our real life and "Companies" for companies in real life, why not just use "Film" for films (such as DOTM) in real life, while we move current contents in "Films" to "Films in ''Transformers'' fictions"? --'''[[User:TX55|TX55]]'''''[[User talk:TX55|TALK]]'' 23:04, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

::::::::::That seems like it would go counter to some of our existing naming schemes. e.g. if we split that out into films by franchise, you'd get "Films in Generation 1" rather than "Generation 1 films". Though admittedly the former title might have the advantage that it's clearer in meaning. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 23:50, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::::::::I think both are equally ambiguous in their meaning. If we still need to clarify the purpose of the categories, we can always spell it out in the category's introduction. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 00:03, 7 September 2011 (EDT)

== "Transformers: " ==
We talked a bit about adding back "Transformers: " to the titles of articles [[Transformers_Wiki_talk:Community_Portal/Archive51#When_to_omit_.22Transformers.22_from_an_article_title|previously]], and the general sentiment was that people were for it or didn't have an issue with it. Does anybody else have any input in this matter? [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 00:34, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:I'm okay with this change, but I do have three questions on execution. 1.) Whether or not "Transformers" is followed by a colon seems random in our current system. How will that be handled? 2.) If "Transformers(:)" is going to be added to every relevant page name, then what about all the extra words in the titles of Japanese stuff? 3.) What conseuqneces will this have for categories, lists, storylinks, etc? [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 04:41, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

::#I think we've had two consistent rules about that: If the title is some kind of phrase, like "Transformers United", "The Transformers Collection", or "Transformers Animated", then we don't use the colon. If the title is some kind of obvious "title: subtitle" setup ("Transformers: Armada", "Transformers: Prime"), then we use the colon. There's some borderline examples, but I think we can figure them out one by one. Official sources will help with determining colon-status. The other rule seems to apply to only games: If the title has another subtitle, then the first colon is dropped (ex. [[Transformers Prime: Terrorcon Defense]]). I dunno why, but we can add back the colon, I suppose.
::#I guess we add them? We could argue it for ''Victory'', since it was released in English contexts as just "Transformers: Victory".
::#I think we're just going to continue the same in relation to those. The articles will still be sorted by their subtitles in categories. Storylinks I could go either way on, but I think the trend is to drop the main title. I've been doing that for the AAII storylinks to avoid excessively long links. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 12:49, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

::::I don't see how "Transformers United" and "Transformers Animated" are any different from "Transformers: Prime". To me, all three could fall into either of your groups (phrase vs subtitle) and would prefer colons in all of those cases. Of your examples, only "The Transformers Collection" seems to really belong in the "phrase" group. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 13:22, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::"United" and "Animated" are adjectives that modify "Transformers" and have official sources that omit the colon. "Transformers Prime" doesn't make sense in that way. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 14:58, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

::::I am not certain about those two "rules" for colons either. They're rather vague and bound to cause arguments and confusion. It needs to be made more obvious whether a colon should be used or not before "Transformers" can be added everywhere (a help page on the matter would also be handy in the future, me thinks).

::::I think that if we would put the cartoon at ''Transformers: Victory'', that would cause confusion with the manga, storypages, toyline and franchises, none of which were ever brought over and should thus not be named such. If moved, the ''Victory'' cartoon should best go to its Japanese name. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 15:28, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::<nowiki>*</nowiki>shrug* The first rule is mostly there for Transformers Animated, which people will be resistant to moving to have a colon (plus, obvious cases like The Transformers Collection). The second rule I really don't care about and can be tossed (it mostly only concerns the movie series of video games and online games). [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:04, 6 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::Are you suggesting there that Victory articles should be moved to "Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory"? I'd disagree with that, if so! --[[User:Abates|abates]] 07:25, 10 September 2011 (EDT)

::::::Why? We can't go around writing out the full names of Western franchises and stuff but not do so for the Japanese stuff. We already have "Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers" written out for the 1985 & 1986 Japanese franchises, so why not ''Victory''? [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 07:30, 10 September 2011 (EDT)
:::::::Victory (the cartoon) has been released in the West as "Transformers: Victory", to me that means that the official English name of the franchise ''is'' Transformers: Victory. Yes, we should give the full Japanese title at the beginning of the franchise page but there is no reason to move anything to that name. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 08:35, 10 September 2011 (EDT)

::::::::That was pretty much my reasoning too (also typing out the full name every time we wanted to link to it would be tedious). --[[User:Abates|abates]] 17:59, 10 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::::::Tying out "(franchise)" every time for everything is more tedious, but we still have it (for... some reason). Ditto long titles like [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]] and [[Transformers Vault]]'s previous ridiculously long title.
:::::::::But I guess the general principle of "Transformers: " is acceptable to most. I'll start moving the noncontroversial pages (Western comics and cartoons with definite subtitles, etc.) if there's no opposition in the next few hours. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 18:08, 10 September 2011 (EDT)

::::::::::Is there a difference between [[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering]] and [[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Ascending|Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending]]? I must admit, the comma/colon distinction seems kinda arbitrary. Also, these page names seem kind of overlong and stupid, what's wrong with [[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]] and [[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]? It's a Transformers wiki and those are Beast Wars series; prefixing everything we possibly can with "Transformers" is only going to clog up the search box and make editing just that bit more arduous. What were the arguments in favour of this again? --[[User:Emvee|Emvee]] 16:21, 12 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::::::::That's the formatting used in the indicia. Your complaint about the search box is silly; did you really think typing "Transformers" into it yielded anything useful 99% of the time?
:::::::::::Like it or not, "Transformers: " is the part of the name of many things, and the hoops we have to go through to maintain this silly system of dropping it from article titles has gotten ridiculous and inconsistent. Adding "Transformers: " to article titles, on the other hand, adds ''clarity'' and avoids pointless disambiguation. "The Transformers: Bumblebee" is preferable to "Bumblebee (comic)", "Transformers: Sector 7" to "Sector 7 (comic)", etc. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:44, 12 September 2011 (EDT)

::::::::::::I get that it's useful in some cases, but it just seems like applying the rule across the board means we're overcomplicating the issue. Occam's razor has a lot going for it, and for user-friendliness I'd go for brevity. --[[User:Emvee|Emvee]] 17:11, 12 September 2011 (EDT)

::::::::::::Also on an Occam's razor tip, "Bumblebee (comic)" conveys more information in fewer characters than "Transformers: Bumblebee". I really don't understand why the latter is preferable. --[[User:Emvee|Emvee]] 14:06, 13 September 2011 (EDT)

:::::::::::::There's something to say for either argument, but as it is, we have proven to be unable to keep to one consistent "Transformers"-as-part-of-the-title policy at least since TFA. And if trying to keep "Transformers" out of the deal doesn't work, we oughta give the alternative a chance. I don't think it necesarilly makes it harder to find anything, as the search box reacts to words even if they are not the first part of a page title. And I want to have the changes in clear perspective before I might suggest deleting a few redirects, so at least for now, searches won't be any harder and we have a consistent policy. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 14:49, 13 September 2011 (EDT)

I gotta say, I'm hating how this is working in practice. Article titles seem long and ugly to me.--[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 15:46, 13 September 2011 (EDT)

:I feel the same, but it seems to be an necessary evil because "Transformers: ***" is a full title? duh. --'''[[User:TX55|TX55]]'''''[[User talk:TX55|TALK]]'' 22:45, 13 September 2011 (EDT)

::I fear the day someone decides to add full titles to disambiguation suffixes as well, e.g. "Optimus Prime (Transformers Animated)", "Grindor (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)" etc.--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 13:43, 15 September 2011 (EDT)

:::That would be silly, and I'm pretty sure most people would oppose it. Putting "Transformers:" in names is a change we'd already been drifting towards for a while with, for instance, the War for Cybertron articles all doing it. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 16:32, 15 September 2011 (EDT)

::::On a related note, it's a pet peeve of mine when a writeup talks about a specific medium related to a franchise but links to the franchise as a whole instead, such as "Jetfire was released as part of wave 1 of the [[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]] toyline" or "in episode 6 of the [[Energon (franchise)|Energon]] cartoon...".--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 17:29, 15 September 2011 (EDT)
:::::Would the best solution there be something like "Jetfire was released as part of wave 1 of the [[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]] [[Cybertron (toyline)|toyline]]"? --[[Special:Contributions/77.99.176.103|77.99.176.103]] 03:32, 29 September 2011 (EDT) (oops, emvee not logged in)
::::::I think linking to the toyline page is sufficent. There's no need for an additional link to the corresponding umbrella franchise. The thought behind this is: "If Joe McRandom sees something that interests him and clicks a link, does he want the link to take him straight to the specific topic or to a more general overview?" I think link targets should always be as specific as necessary. If someone gets interested in a broader overview, he can always go one level up. After all, a link referring to G1 Optimus Prime leads to [[Optimus Prime (G1)]], not to [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)]], either. In the same fashion, toyline pages should deeplink to the specific toy entries on the respective characters' pages (or even their toy pages, if applicable). Like, if Joe McRandom is on the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe (2008 toyline)]] page, sees a "Prowl" toy listed under "Deluxe Class" and wants to read more about that toy, he wants the "Prowl" link to take him straight to [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)]], not to the [[Prowl (G1)|main character page]] where he then has to scroll down to "toys", see that G1 Prowl toys have their separate page, go ''there'', ''then'' scroll down to "Universe (2008)". (It currently links to [[Prowl (G1)/toys]], which is at least halfway there.) I will fix this wherever I see it, and implement it when doing writeups.--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 08:11, 13 October 2011 (EDT)

===Suggestion to creating templates===

Do we need some kinds of templates when typing contents for convenience? For my experience in Terminator Wiki, we use templates like <nowiki>{{T3}} for ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'' or {{TSCC}} for ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connnor Chronicles]]''</nowiki>. What I'm suggesting is that after we make all franchise names into full title (and we don't use redirect links), it is some how trouble some when typing the title. So we can make some templates like:
<pre>
{{tf|Armada}} -> ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Transformers: Armada]]''

{{tf|Armada|toyline|Pokeformer}} -> ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Pokeformer]]''

{{jptf|bwn}} -> ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo]]''

</pre>

If there is any user who can created complex template, we could make

<pre>
{{tf|armada|t}} -> ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Transformers: Armada]]''

parameter 1:
2010 = Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (toyline)
thm = Transformers: The Headmasters (toyline)
mf = Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)
v = Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory
z = Transformers: Zone
roc = Transformers: Return of Convoy
oc = Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination
armada = Transformers Armada
bwn = Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo
mov = Movie
rotf = Revenge of the Fallen
tfa = Transformers Animated
...and (blah blah)

parameter 2:
*default* - franchise
t - toyline
ct - cartoon
co - comic
m - manga
f - film

And, if possible:
if parameter 3 = s (for example), it will become short title like ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]''

</pre>

--'''[[User:TX55|TX55]]'''''[[User talk:TX55|TALK]]'' 21:42, 24 September 2011 (EDT)

:It's something I've thought about as well. Considering there are a lot of exceptions to the regular naming system (parts of franchises that are called something different or franchises that lack the (franchise) identifier on the wiki because it's not necessary to disambiguate it), I don't think a template can be coded to put a link together. A full list system like our TFtoon templates have could maybe work though. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 16:08, 25 September 2011 (EDT)
::I think with the number of franchises we have, it would end up being a hellishly big template and difficult to maintain for only a minor gain. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 18:03, 25 September 2011 (EDT)

==="Fight! Super Robot Lifeform" Transformers===
With the insertion of this phrase into the Victory page titles, should it also be inserted into the titles of The Headmasters, Super-God Masterforce, and Zone? now while the immediate answer would be "No", there are some places that do include this text above the "Toransufōmā" text in each of these series's logos. An example of this would the [[Transformers Tapestry]] (which even includes it in the Operation combination logo as well) and the [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:Columbia_Zone_DVD.jpg Columbia DVD of Zone]. Its inclusion in these places seems more than mere coincidence, so would we take this idea into consideration? --[[User:Sabrblade|Sabrblade]] 14:33, 23 October 2011 (EDT)
:Um, that ''Zone'' DVD does not support your assertion. All of the ''actual'' media for those series (except for the Zone manga and story pages) do not include The "Fight!..." portion. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:58, 23 October 2011 (EDT)
::Technically the whole toyline in Japan from 1985 to 1992 was called "Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers" (as was written on the boxes), so at least the toyline pages for the series of those years would probably need the longer title than just "Transformers: ''X'' (toyline)" --[[User:Sabrblade|Sabrblade]] 16:04, 25 October 2011 (EDT)
:::So you want to move the toyline pages to some made-up name? Pick one: 1) Merge all of the toyline pages to "Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)" 2) Leave the toyline pages as they are instead of stressing over naming things that technically don't exist. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:23, 25 October 2011 (EDT)
::::How is it "made up"? "Tatakae! Chō Robot Seimeitai" means "Fight! Super Robot Lifeform" and is written above the "Toransufōmā" text on the packages of the 1985-1992 Japanese toys. I'm not proposing we merge all those toyline pages together, but rather something akin to the [[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)|Japanese Beast Wars toyline]] page, in which the individual toylines are kept separate even though they were all collectively the same-named toyline. --[[User:Sabrblade|Sabrblade]] 17:25, 25 October 2011 (EDT)
:::::"Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Headmasters" and its ilk are the imaginary names. Those articles for imaginary toylines are fine where they are. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 17:53, 25 October 2011 (EDT)

==="Movie"===
There's still [[Movie (franchise)]], [[Movie (toyline)]] and more. Shouldn't that be "Transformers (2007 franchise)" and "Transformers (2007 toyline)", with the current [[Transformers (2007)]] becoming "Transformers (2007 movie)"?--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 20:44, 24 October 2011 (EDT)

:Probably. I didn't move them, since I wanted to bring it up for discussion first. The film should be moved to just "Transformers (film)", though. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 21:05, 24 October 2011 (EDT)

:"Movie (''media'')" should be moved to "Transformers (2007 ''media'')" while "Transformers (2007)" goes "Transformers (film)". --'''[[User:TX55|TX55]]'''''[[User talk:TX55|TALK]]'' 21:27, 24 October 2011 (EDT)
::That push for lexical accuracy strikes me as creating more ambiguity than it resolves. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 16:06, 25 October 2011 (EDT)

==Jungaroo==
Someone made a lovely [[Jungaroo]] gobox, but there's no page for him. --[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 21:23, 6 September 2011 (EDT)
:I don't think he's in any applicable fiction, but his [http://home.comcast.net/~BattleBeastSD/MGCKang.html bio card is online here]. Someone will have to translate it from Japanese first though. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 20:25, 15 September 2011 (EDT)

== Making the search suggestion work better ==

I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I noticed sometimes when I type something in the search box, the search suggestions below it jump around and end up on a list which doesn't quite match what I typed. I think it's something to do with the speed I'm typing and the amount of time the server takes to respond to each request.

Anyway, I tweaked the javascript for grabbing the suggestions from the server so it would only trigger when I stopped typing. That seems to fix the problem for me, and as a bonus it's not nagging the server on every keypress. The downside is no instant feedback when I type, but I can live without that if it fixes the other thing.

If anyone else is having that problem and wants to have a go, just copy and paste the following into your [[Special:MyPage/monacobook.js|monacobook.js]] (caveat: only tested on Firefox and Chrome):
<pre><nowiki>
var ss_memory = null;
var ss_timeron = 0;
var ss_timer;

function DoActualSearch() {
ss_timeron=0;
var newdiv = document.getElementById("searchsuggest");
if (!newdiv) {
var newdiv = document.createElement("div");
newdiv.id = "searchsuggest";
var searchdiv = document.getElementById("searchBody");
searchdiv.appendChild(newdiv);
}
var x = document.getElementById("searchInput").value;
if (x == ss_memory) {
return;
}
ss_memory = x;
document.getElementById("searchsuggest").style.display = 'none';
if (x.length < 30 && x.length > 1 && x.value != "") {
sajax_do_call("wfAjaxSearchSuggest", [x], newdiv);
document.getElementById("searchsuggest").style.display = 'block';
}
}

function MySearchCall() {
if(ss_timeron) {
clearTimeout(ss_timer);
ss_timer=setTimeout("DoActualSearch();",500);
} else {
ss_timer=setTimeout("DoActualSearch();",500);
ss_timeron=1;
}
}

function myss_ajax_onload(){
var x = document.getElementById('searchInput');
x.onkeyup = function(){
MySearchCall();
};
}

hookEvent("load", myss_ajax_onload);
</nowiki></pre>
Unfortunately it won't fix the actual contents of the search suggestions, so you'll still get a bunch of All Hail Megatron issues when you type "Megatron", but that requires changes on the server. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 20:02, 14 September 2011 (EDT)
:Hmm. I feel like adding <tt>ORDER BY `page_counter` DESC</tt> around line 20 of ''suggest.php'' might help w/ our search results, but it's hard to say for sure given how abstracted mediawiki database calls are, someone would have ot make the change then test it. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 18:47, 15 September 2011 (EDT)
::The thought I had was to do a query on article titles starting with the search term, and then if that gives back less than 8 entries, do a second search to fill the rest of the list with titles with the term anywhere in the title. The search suggest currently supports both options, but not at the same time. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 20:07, 15 September 2011 (EDT)

==Stuff==
: Firstly, our organization of information related to the junior franchises is terrible and I'd love to do something about it, but I need feedback. We currently have most Japanese and American Go-Bots as separate characters, except for the Japanese Go-Bots from the 1-2-3 line. Though there are requests for a separate Chopper page. Should those pages be split or not? And if so, what about the figures that came with some of the toys. Kid-Bot clearly isn't the "red driver" or "blue driver", but the dog and "Gas-Bot" both have fiction in only one of the two franchises, so is it worth separating them? Also, does the unpublished coloring book count as apocrypha or not, seeing as it was mostly approved? And the human characters within, do they count as cameos like Kelly in the Dreamwave comics or separate characters? And does anyone know what the Japanese name was by which the First Transformers were released? The Go-Bots fansite has an image of Dumpkun's box featuring what looks like a G1 logo, the First Transformers logo and "初めてトランスフォーマー" written on it.
: Secondly, many disambiguation pages still mention if there's a separate page for the toys of a character. Is this system still necessary now that we use subpages to separate such stuff under? [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 17:07, 23 September 2011 (EDT)

::I think unpublished stuff is treated as apocrypha, isn't it? The character page coverage of unreleased Dreamwave issues is in notes, for instance. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 07:48, 24 September 2011 (EDT)
:::True, but we don't know if those were approved or know those weren't approved. The coloring book was approved, just not released. That makes it better comparable to Wreckers #$, which we do not consider apocrypha (though I wouldn't know if we'd do that if Wreckers #5 didn't partially canonize it). [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 11:39, 1 October 2011 (EDT)
::Just weighing in on the toy page issue: I find it useful to have these called out on the disambig pages. Being able to go directly from the disambig page to the toy page of a character saves me at least one click (if I see the suite box in time) and often some scrolling (if I don't see it). However, I won't fight too hard on this if consensus is for the removal of this feature. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 07:47, 26 September 2011 (EDT)

::Thinking some more about the Go-Bots stuff, as the Japanese version of Gas-Bot has no fiction, it probably doesn't need its own page - either link to Gas-Bot's page or just leave it unlinked in the appropriate toy sections. Same with the US version of the dog. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 21:30, 24 October 2011 (EDT)

== Facebook. ==

Is '''<nowiki>http://www.facebook.com/pages/TFwikinet/191252494230187</nowiki>''' us? Because it's the #1 link when you search for "TFWiki Facebook," and our group is nowhere to be seen. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 16:32, 12 October 2011 (EDT)

:I think our group is not showing up because you have to have a Facebook account to see it? When I go to the group's URL, I just get a page prompting me to log in to Facebook. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 17:47, 12 October 2011 (EDT)

::The link is this one: [http://www.facebook.com/groups/28226443881/ http://www.facebook.com/groups/28226443881/], which is the #3 on the search by "TFwiki site:facebook.com" on Google. --'''[[User:TX55|TX55]]'''''[[User talk:TX55|TALK]]'' 19:51, 12 October 2011 (EDT)
:::So the other one isn't ours, and we can't put a link on it pointing it to the group.
:::Annoying. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 01:01, 13 October 2011 (EDT)
::::It's a "Community page", whatever that is. Clicking on the "Create a page" button on the top right of that page does bring up some sort of form which seems like it will do something. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 01:12, 13 October 2011 (EDT)

== Halloween ==

Presuming we're deco'ing our frontpage for Halloween... does anyone have any suggestions? Monsters, ghosts, gouls? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 02:09, 27 October 2011 (EDT)
:Animated Blitzwing's random face looks sorta Jack O'Lanterny and could work as a replacement for the Autobot insignia on the site logo, assuming we can find a head-on image of it. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 02:35, 27 October 2011 (EDT)

== Moving "(Timelines)" articles ==

I'm thinking that, as we don't bother with "(Timelines)" for SG, TransTech, and Animated characters, we should apply the same across the board and only use it if necessary.

*[[Astrotrain (Timelines)]] → Astrotrain (Cybertron)
*[[Cannonball (Timelines)]] → Cannonball (G1)
*[[Cop-Tur (Timelines)]] → Cop-Tur (G1)
*[[Halogen (Timelines)]] → Halogen (G1)
*[[Side Burn (Timelines)]] → Side Burn (G1)
*[[Sky-Byte (Timelines)]] → Sky-Byte (G2)
*[[Switchblade (Timelines)]] → Switchblade (BW)
*[[Thunderblast (Timelines)]] → Thunderblast (G1)
*[[Yoketron (Timelines)]] → Yoketron (G1)

The exceptions are the Descent into Evil characters, who don't really fit in any pre-existing franchise, and the Nexus Prime characters, who don't originate from a particular universe.
*[[Buzzclaw (Timelines)]]
*[[Dirge (Timelines)]]
*[[Flareup (Timelines)]]
*[[Landquake (Timelines)]]
*[[Ricochet (Timelines)]]
*[[Heatwave (Timelines)]]

Thoughts? Or does nobody really care that much? [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 10:19, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

:Since you asked, I'll pitch 2¢ into the conversation, since I know a little bit about it. I found out the hard way that wiki "doesn't bother with '(Timelines)' for Animated." And by hard way, I mean I was clobbered over the head without a hint of explanation for proposing that a Timelines-original Animated continuity character should be at "(Timelines)." But no hard feelings. I still think "franchise of origin" and not "continuity of origin" is best for disambiguations. For reasons that have been discussed previously on the subject. TransTech and SG are treated as a kind of sub-franchises of Timelines by the wiki, so I think they are an OK exception. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 11:00, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

::The prose stories are identified as "Transformers Timelines presents a Transformers: (franchise) story". I would say that both franchises are equally valid to the stories, and the fact that non-Timelines stories (Around Cybertron, magazine comics, etc.) bleed together with Timelines stories makes the "(Timelines)" designation convoluted. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 11:12, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

:::Well, that's different. It sounds like you are calling their actual franchise of origin into question, not just their disambiguation. I don't have an opinion about their actual franchise of origin. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 11:28, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

::::I'm not denying that they're Timelines, but saying that they're better categorized under their other franchise. Like the Animated guys, it seems more instinctive to file [[Side Burn (Timelines)]] under "Side Burn (G1)" instead (not to mention that there's other Side Burn in Timelines: [[Side Burn (SG)]]).[[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 11:38, 2 November 2011 (EDT)
I'm hesitating, but let me think about the ramifications. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 11:20, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

:I'd be fine with this. Though, one thing I'd like to propose is giving the Wings Universe characters their own disambiguation suffix. Like maybe "(Wings)" or something. I know it's a part of G1, but it's kinda like its own series within the over G1 continuity family like the Japanese G1 series are (which are also given their own suffixes such as "(Victory)", "(ROC)", "(BT)" etc.).

:Though, as for the Descent into Evil characters, maybe something like "(DIE)" or "(Descent)" or even just "(Descent into Evil)". Or, if not, keep them at "(Timelines)". --[[User:Sabrblade|Sabrblade]] 11:51, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

::I think the DIE guys are fine where they are (although you could argue moving [[Ricochet (Timelines)]] because of [[Ricochet (SG)]], but I don't really care). As for the Wings Universe guys getting their own disambiguation, eh... [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 12:02, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

::I am '''definitely absolutely''' against creating a (Wings) disambiguation when (G1) or (Timelines) work perfectly fine. We do NOT disambiguate by continuity except by absolute necessity within a franchise. Making up a (Wings) parenthetical just because incredibly confuses our disambiguation policy for no real reason. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 13:46, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

::And what exactly keeps the Descent into Evil guys from being tagged G1? --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 14:29, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

:::Is the intermezzo period between G1 and BW considered G1 or BW?

:::It's all G1 characters... and IIRC the Insecticons were supposed ot be part of Insecticon plans which had been around for ages, so the characters weren't "BW-era only" characters...

:::I could support a G1 disambigif you talked me into it. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 15:01, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

::::DIE fiction (Descent into Evil itself and [[Intimidation Game]]) has elements of both BW and G1; it doesn't have a certain franchise placement. Dirge (Timelines) and Ricochet (Timelines) also have namesakes firmly in G1. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 15:14, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

:::::BW is both BW and G1. And G1 has been back-incorporating BW elements since, like, 1995. The fact DIE has G1 and BW doesn't mean it's part of neither. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 15:25, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

::I think that, by the nature of Timelines, it feels more natural to parse that specific set of characters by their continuity or parent-franchise of origin. Honestly, I think the Nexus components (''all'' of them) are really the best and only candidates for the Timelines parser.

::Also, I made a [http://digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Template:c quick template] that you guys could use here to simplify the coding for whenever you need to link a continuity-parsed name.[[Special:Contributions/192.249.47.196|192.249.47.196]] 15:37, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

:::Unfortunately I don't think that template would work as well here, because our articles are not consistently named by franchise. For instance [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)]], [[Flattop (Autobot)]] and [[Impactor]] are all (G1) characters but don't use (G1) in their title, so the template wouldn't work for linking to them. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 16:05, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

:I think that Timelines is a pretty clunky franchise for the purposes of this wiki, in that it covers multiple continuities. I think the proposal on the table makes sense.--[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 12:31, 3 November 2011 (EDT)

== Two spaces after a period in a sentence ==

I've noticed this for a while on the Wiki. In practice, it makes no difference as the software displays one space the same way it displays one. However, I've been wondering why people do it. Now I '''know: They''' were taught so in school. '''By teachers who were taught on friggin' ''typewriters''.''' So the "two spaces after a period" rule is a leftover from the typewriter days, where it was a necessity, but it's completely obsolete on computers. [http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html Source]--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 07:16, 4 November 2011 (EDT)
:The sentence spacing rules were, in fact, developed by typographers, but were not phased out via the magical introduction of the personal computer. The em-space rule exists for monospaced fonts, which were still fairly common for a great number of printers through the mid-1980s. If you would like to begin a tyrannical series of grammar-based wiki edits, I would begin by avoiding the use of prepositions at the start of sentences. I would also advise some respect for the proper use of colons and semi-colons, as typographical errors should not take priority over proper word selection and punctuation. Cheers! --[[User:McFly|McFly]] 14:20, 7 November 2011 (EST)
::Are you referring to sentences beginning with prepositional phrases for the sake of emphasis (also known as an introductory modifiers)? That's totally valid. Or do you mean idiocies such as relative clauses that are separated from the preceding main clause by a period instead of a comma? The most glaring typographic blunders I encounter on the wiki typically go hand in hand with awkwardly worded sentences and clunky terminology, so I'm inclined to assume the same person(s) is/are responsible for all of those.--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 20:14, 8 November 2011 (EST)
:::I have bolded an example. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 20:14, 8 November 2011 (EST)
::::Aw, you altered your post. No fair! --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 20:16, 8 November 2011 (EST)
:::::What'd I alter? I just moved it up. Anyway... I'd call that one "deliberate departure from proper grammar for the sake of dramatic emphasis". It's about as improper as using a period after ''every. Single. Word.'' If it's obvious from the context that it's done for emphasis, I'd call it acceptable as long as it's not used inflationary. I'm sure we have a few cases of "We know it's not proper grammar, but we want to stress a point here" on the wiki. (How did the saying go again? "Know the rules first before you break them"?)--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 20:28, 8 November 2011 (EST)
:....or you can just set the bot to convert " " to " ". Since we don't output monospace font, or anything.[[Special:Contributions/192.249.47.196|192.249.47.196]] 15:22, 7 November 2011 (EST)
::Over the whole wiki, those extra spaces account for maybe 20kb of data, which I don't think is worth worrying about. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 20:21, 8 November 2011 (EST)
:::Typed text is typed text, and the double-space after a period is still correct. Shall we next be told that we're "wrong" for not having the wiki use the metric system, or for writing down dates with the month before the day instead of after it? --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] 23:31, 8 November 2011 (EST)
::::Oh, and I bolded something too. --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] 23:36, 8 November 2011 (EST)
Due to habit, I'm gonna double-space until I die. I really don't think that needs to be considered a problem. Is that really a problem? An extra millimeter between sentences? --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:51, 8 November 2011 (EST)

Nevermore ''is'' right about it being mostly obsolete, but for purely technical reasons: All double (triple, etc.) spaces are collapsed down to one for display in HTML. If you want the extra spaces to actually be viewable as extra blank space, you have to use <tt>&</tt><tt></tt><tt>nbsp;</tt>. So if you double-space here on the wiki, it only shows up when you edit the page. For whatever that's worth. (Not really taking sides, just presenting the info.) --[[Special:Contributions/67.252.49.31|67.252.49.31]] 06:08, 9 November 2011 (EST)

== More on the search box/"Transformers" everything ==

Typing "Energon" into the search box does not give me [[Energon (franchise)]], [[Energon (cartoon)]] or [[Energon (toyline)]] as top results. Same for "Cybertron". I assume this has to do with the recent "Transformers" prefixing for article titles. However, typing "Animated" into the seach box ''does'' give me franchise and toyline as top results, so it should be ''possible'' despite the prefixing.--[[User:Nevermore|Nevermore]] 07:36, 6 November 2011 (EST)
:It's purely alphabetical, dude. ''Animated'' shows up before ''Arcee (Animated)'' because "An" precedes "Ar", whereas ''Arcee (Energon)'' comes up before ''Energon'' because "A" precedes "E". --[[User:Xaaron|Xaaron]] 08:13, 6 November 2011 (EST)
::There's an option in the search suggest tool to limit the results to stuff starting with the search query rather than with stuff with the term anywhere in their titles, however it's not something that can be configured through MediaWiki. There's a bit of discussion about it in the "Making the search suggestion work better" section up above. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 14:36, 6 November 2011 (EST)
:::If we wanted to do ''that'', when we shouldn't have prefixed "Transformers:" before hundreds of articles 3 weeks ago. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 17:06, 19 November 2011 (EST)
::::We still have the titles without "Transformers: " as redirects though, so they'll still show up. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 17:23, 19 November 2011 (EST)

== Spam-dalism ==

Is that the neologism for it? Anyway, somehow the ReCaptcha is failing to stop the automated spam, and I'm guessing the IP's are all very different.

How old are the accounts when they do this? If they're fairly new, would it be possible to simply block IPs and new accounts from inserting new external links? If not (or if that's unworkable), would it be possible to flag such edits for review the way that wikipedia does to edits on contested pages?

Also, is there any chance these are at least coming from the same proxy? The fact that they're getting past ReCaptcha makes it seem like these are actual people doing this, unless ReCaptcha only activates on certain namespaces.[[Special:Contributions/192.249.47.196|192.249.47.196]] 14:25, 18 November 2011 (EST)
:I was using captcha with images on my phpBB installation on another site (Doctor Who related) until yesterday and getting a half dozen spammers a day signing up in despite of it. Yesterday I switched to a Question Answer challenge which asks the person registering to name the main character's time machine, and so far it has stopped the spammers dead.
:MediaWiki has [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:QuestyCaptcha QuestyCaptcha] which looks like it works in exactly the same way, and works with the ConfirmEdit extension we already have installed. If we can get that installed and set up, it might be more effective than the image-based system we use now. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 15:39, 18 November 2011 (EST)
::What would the questions be? It can't be too obvious or too obscure. [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 17:31, 18 November 2011 (EST)
:::Not necessarily. The question I'm using on my Doctor Who site is obvious if you have any knowledge at all of the source material, but it seems to be working. We can always start with something easy and see how we go. Most likely all of the spammers are using bots anyway. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 17:49, 18 November 2011 (EST)
::::"What is the name of the red-and-blue semi Autobot?", "What's the name of the blue casette player Decepticon?", or "What is the name of the yellow semi Micromaster Autobot with a hydraulic crane?"[[Special:Contributions/192.249.47.196|192.249.47.196]] 17:50, 18 November 2011 (EST)
::::: "What is the fandom's usual reaction when a new franchise is announced?" :p [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 17:56, 18 November 2011 (EST)
::::::<tt>If Dick has two apples and Jane has two apples, how many apples do they have? (3 letters.)</tt> -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 17:09, 19 November 2011 (EST)
::Ah, but then it would be so easy for users to use only three exclamation marks, and forget the requisite four exclamation marks and a 1.
::No but yeah, a question helps a lot. Might even be worth doing for all IP edits and new accounts, not just those with external links.[[Special:Contributions/192.249.47.196|192.249.47.196]] 15:57, 19 November 2011 (EST)
::While we're on the subject, is it somehow possible to flag certain terms or words used by IP editors and auto-block them? *coughcoughobamacoughcough*[[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 16:31, 19 November 2011 (EST)
:::...but we have an article on [[Barry Obama]].
:::Are you trying to whitewash the wiki? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 17:13, 19 November 2011 (EST)
:::: It was just an academic question; after all, I'm sure that you've noticed our considerable problem with a certain IP editor lately. [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 17:19, 19 November 2011 (EST)
::::: Well yes... but I couldn't resist. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 17:43, 19 November 2011 (EST)
:::It's getting to the point where I'm thinking a temp ban on the whole ISP might get better results. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 17:51, 19 November 2011 (EST)
::::sooo...who would you need to talk to about getting this set up, and what exactly do you want to restrict?[[Special:Contributions/192.249.47.196|192.249.47.196]] 19:45, 21 November 2011 (EST)
:::::The guy whose IP addresses are always located in England who keeps vandalizing articles with Obama-related nonsense. Doesn't look like even banning IP ranges stops him. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 11:01, 22 November 2011 (EST)
:::::...so, there's no way to stop this lunatic? [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 11:09, 22 November 2011 (EST)
:Options, in order of severity:
#Block all new uses of the word "Obama" to all anonymous editors.
#Block anonymous editors entirely.
#Destroy England.
:But really, that's a separate issue with probably a separate solution, since the guy is a some kind of being. To deal with the spamdalism, I think you guys should add a "name that Transformer-mon!" question, which should cut down heavily on automated edits, and if they still get through, look at blocking all uses of external links for anonymous or new editors. The use of the question for all IP edits is fairly standard, so it should be easy to implement, and you can look into harsher measures if the bots still make it through. However, I really think you guys should make an effort to get this setup, because the conversation keeps kind of drifting down and the vandalism keeps happening.[[Special:Contributions/98.223.102.157|98.223.102.157]] 02:29, 23 November 2011 (EST)
:: On another note... isn't it cute how he keps trying to badly pass himself off as me? I think someone has a bad case of hero-worship. [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 10:09, 23 November 2011 (EST)
:::Please stop egging on vandals. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 11:05, 23 November 2011 (EST)
::: OK, on a more serious note, is anyone averse to just locking the wiki for a few days? Bulbapedia does it regularily and they don't have much of a vandalism problem. [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 12:36, 23 November 2011 (EST)
Removing the "Undo" option for anons would help, at the very least. We need a regular tech person (or give abates access to the MediaWiki stuff, since he seems to know his way around). [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 14:12, 25 November 2011 (EST)
::: What if we implemented a captcha system for anon edits? I mean, it wouldn't ''stop'' them, per se, but it would make persistent vandalism wars a hassle. [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 14:16, 25 November 2011 (EST)
::::I would not be opposed to that, or simple stock questions. ("Who is the leader of the Autobots?", "What is two plus three?", etc.) [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 14:23, 25 November 2011 (EST)
:::: Rodimus Prime? :p
::::: But seriously, how did Mr. Obama Guy get past the rangeblock? Because that's rather worrysome in and of itself. [[User:Tom Servo the Great|Tom Servo the Great]] 14:26, 25 November 2011 (EST)
::::::BT Internet has a lot of IP ranges. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 16:58, 25 November 2011 (EST)

Okay. Listen. 
1) CAPTCHA won't change crap. It ''might'' stop a small number of bot edits, but we have a large, active mod presence that basically polices this place around the clock, and any of those crappy ad pages can be eliminated in mere minutes, if not within seconds of their creation. 
2) There is basically '''''NOTHING''''' that can be done to ''stop'' someone who has decided that the best use of their time is constant, repeated, easily-reverted vandalism of a wiki. Well, okay there are a few options, but they're not ones any kind of wiki coding is gonna be part of. They'll find ways around bans, and all these automated things that are being suggested are basically shooting blind and wasting time. This is not remotely the first time someone has thought to do this. It won't be the last. But we've outlasted all those others. And that's all it takes. Again... that large active 24-hour admin presence that quickly and coolly reverts the vandalism ''without getting all butthurt''. That's what vandals want, to watch you get pissy and panicky and angry... ''and that's what you're giving them.'' So '''''shut up''''' and stop feeding that, then they'll eventually get bored and leave. 
3) I can perhaps get behind removing the "Undo" option for anons. I don't think though that it will really help much, since making an account takes what, a few seconds? 
--[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 18:38, 25 November 2011 (EST)
:Um. I don't want to offend anyone, but the Obama-guy thing ''really'' isn't related to this topic, although some of the solutions to the spamdalism thing might work to hinder him. The bigger issue is the guys spamming the wiki with links to knockoff viagra, sort of thing, and putting up a simple question system for anons and new editors would work to stop that almost completely, at least everywhere I've seen it in use.
:The mod presence, yeah, things eventually get cleaned up by the end of the day, but a simple, standard change like adding the question will prevent that from happening in the first place.[[Special:Contributions/99.39.88.159|99.39.88.159]] 22:44, 26 November 2011 (EST)

== Spelling throughout the Wiki ==

I've found that, on multiple spots on the Wiki, there are UK English spellings of words. Now, I know that the Transformers Wiki is a country-spanning project, but I'd like a consensus on whether or not we should change incidences of UK spellings (like "practise" and "polarize") to their American English counterparts. A streamlined flow using only one dialect would, I believe, make the editing process much easier. However, I do not want a backlash from UK users. 
P.S.: Damn you, Webster! You and your new-world dictionary! [[User:TheMZone|TheMZone]] 18:09, 23 November 2011 (EST)
:[[Help:Style guide#National varieties of English|Here is the wiki's policy on the subject]] just so you know. I myself don't think it needs changing. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 18:20, 23 November 2011 (EST)