Talk:Prime's Directive, Part One
Cartoon continuity?
[edit]When writing up these events on the character pages, should we do so on the G1 cartoon continuity pages for those that have them? Optimus's page, for example, includes other cartoon-inspired series like Wings and the Mars Attacks one-shot. Just wanted to get some opinions before I start moving anything. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 23:40, 21 October 2018 (EDT)
- It seems like we should probably wait to see if the Transformers in this story are native to the timeline, or if they've come through from another reality; if it's the latter, then yes, we should move them. Grum (talk) 23:44, 21 October 2018 (EDT)
- Wings and Mars were said to use cartoon continuity. This has Windblade and Airachnid, so it's pretty obviously not cartoon continuity. Saix (talk) 01:09, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Mars Attacks wasn't. It was said to be "cartoon-inspired", and this one has been described as "a crossover between the Transformers and Star Trek cartoons". Being overly literal and pedantic about "is it technically cartoon continuity or not" helps nobody. ---Riptide (talk) 06:51, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Indeed. From the official solicit: "The Transformers '80s cartoon series meets Star Trek: The Animated Series in a no-holds-barred Saturday Morning mash-up for the ages!" -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 08:20, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Our pages are structured on continuity lines and you're telling me I'm being "pedantic and literal"? If it's not technically cartoon continuity then it doesn't belong on pages literally called "Generation 1 cartoon continuity". Saix (talk) 10:03, 22 October 2018 (EDT)\
- Regardless, the language used in the official solicit refer to them as the characters from the cartoon, even if Windblade and Airachnid are there. Seems pretty cut-and-dry. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 10:14, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Lots of things describe Transformers as '80s cartoon characters. They're not literal in regards to continuity. Saix (talk) 10:19, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Again, this is IDW's official summary. "The Transformers '80s cartoon series meets Star Trek: The Animated Series" is pretty explicit. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 10:24, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Yes, I can read. Marketing text is still not an actual commentary on continuity. Saix (talk) 10:27, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- But aesthetic is apparently enough. From our own Wings and Mars Attacks articles: "Transformers: Wings Universe is a Generation 1 universe based loosely on the original cartoon." "The story in this issue is unconnected to the IDW Generation 1 universe, and instead serves as a broad parody of the original The Transformers cartoon, using minimally-altered versions of its character models and playing on more than a few of its tropes and eccentricities." It is never explicitly said in the book or any associated marketing material that it takes place in the cartoon (in Wings' case, it's even said that the two are similar but separate), but we treat them as such because they're very clearly based on it, hence why they live on the cartoon continuity page. Trek vs. TF is the exact same case, with characters based on their Sunbow designs down to minor details like the coloration of Ratchet's crest. If not for the presence of Windblade and Airachnid and the "alternate universe" query still up in the air, this probably wouldn't even be a question. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 10:35, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- If you want to get super pedantic, one could argue that only the US released cartoon series and movie really belong on the "Generation 1 cartoon series" page. EVERYTHING else on those pages is of the "eh, it's close enough to this continuity to go here ... generally" class. Is this comic literally taking place in the exact same continuity as the US cartoon? Almost certainly not. Is it FAR closer to that than to anything else to the point where it makes more sense to put it on that page than any other? Yes. --Khajidha (talk) 13:31, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- But aesthetic is apparently enough. From our own Wings and Mars Attacks articles: "Transformers: Wings Universe is a Generation 1 universe based loosely on the original cartoon." "The story in this issue is unconnected to the IDW Generation 1 universe, and instead serves as a broad parody of the original The Transformers cartoon, using minimally-altered versions of its character models and playing on more than a few of its tropes and eccentricities." It is never explicitly said in the book or any associated marketing material that it takes place in the cartoon (in Wings' case, it's even said that the two are similar but separate), but we treat them as such because they're very clearly based on it, hence why they live on the cartoon continuity page. Trek vs. TF is the exact same case, with characters based on their Sunbow designs down to minor details like the coloration of Ratchet's crest. If not for the presence of Windblade and Airachnid and the "alternate universe" query still up in the air, this probably wouldn't even be a question. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 10:35, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Yes, I can read. Marketing text is still not an actual commentary on continuity. Saix (talk) 10:27, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Again, this is IDW's official summary. "The Transformers '80s cartoon series meets Star Trek: The Animated Series" is pretty explicit. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 10:24, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Lots of things describe Transformers as '80s cartoon characters. They're not literal in regards to continuity. Saix (talk) 10:19, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Regardless, the language used in the official solicit refer to them as the characters from the cartoon, even if Windblade and Airachnid are there. Seems pretty cut-and-dry. -- Cyberlink420 (talk) 10:14, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Our not having seen them doesn't mean there wasn't a Windblade or Airachnid in the cartoon universe.--Khajidha (talk) 07:40, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Mars Attacks wasn't. It was said to be "cartoon-inspired", and this one has been described as "a crossover between the Transformers and Star Trek cartoons". Being overly literal and pedantic about "is it technically cartoon continuity or not" helps nobody. ---Riptide (talk) 06:51, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
- Wings and Mars were said to use cartoon continuity. This has Windblade and Airachnid, so it's pretty obviously not cartoon continuity. Saix (talk) 01:09, 22 October 2018 (EDT)
And this debate is solved by the second issue, in which there are flashbacks with redrawn scenes from the cartoon. Escargon (talk) 06:25, 7 November 2018 (EST)
Mmmmmmmaybe we should wait to see what the full issue has to say before we start moving pages around willy-nilly? Grum (talk) 08:42, 7 November 2018 (EST)
- An excellent point. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 47 (talk) 12:36, 7 November 2018 (EST)
Not cartoon continuity?
[edit]So given that a) issue 2 establishes a new hybrid continuity for the Transformers, in which they're imagined to have secretly existed in the background of Star Trek Earth, b) that the backstory Bumblebee relates in issue 2, describing Cybertron as a rogue planetoid menaced by asteroids and the Ark leaving to shoot them down, is straight out of the Marvel comic, if anything, and c) that we decided that they're from a G1 cartoon universe based on a cliffhanger ending and a three page preview, I think that there are enough differences here that to argue convincingly that this is not a G1 cartoon universe spinoff. Grum (talk) 10:38, 25 December 2018 (EST)