Talk:The Transformers (toyline)

Lists turned sideways, upside down, inside out

This whole thing with the columnated lists looks terrible. A bulleted list needs to be longer than its width to read easily. Having three bulleted names sit side-by-side looks ridiculous (see the Insecticons listing, for example) and is harder to read. It breaks the association and continuity between the names, rather than enhancing it, and for what? In the name of "getting rid of white space"? Uh... white space is free! Unlimited! It costs us nothing! Extra vertical scrolling? Please. The page is going to be huge no matter what. Having to hit the space bar 22 times instead of 20 times is a small price to pay for legibility. -- Repowers 09:43, 8 May 2009 (EDT)

Yeah, looking at it in IE (which doesn't support multiple-column lists) it looks fine and the lists are much more readable to me. --abates 19:20, 8 May 2009 (EDT)

Maybe, if people don't want to have to scroll so much but also don't want the current weird-looking lists, we could use tables, e.g.

Insecticons

Deluxe Insecticons

Constructicons

Triple Changers

Decepticon Planes

Decepticon Military Operations Commander

Shockwave

--Flicky1991 11:55, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

I like this layout. Can I run with it? Please? --Tigerpaw28 21:43, 12 August 2012 (EDT)

Sure! --Flicky1991 03:59, 13 August 2012 (EDT)

Japanese lines

Should there be central hub page for the Japanese G1 lines or are the individual pages enough? I ask because a central page could be added to the navigation box more easily than the multiple pages. I have also proposed adding Generation 1 (Chinese toyline) to the nav box over on its Talk: Generation 1 (Chinese toyline)|talk page. Khajidha 08:43, 26 March 2010 (EDT)

I've added China to the nav-box and I've mocked up a central page for the Japanese mini-franchises at User: Khajidha/sandbox. I'd like to hear any input. Khajidha 21:18, 4 April 2010 (EDT)

Not exactly "North America"

Right now it's only got info on the U.S. line. Needs stuff on those weird Mexican releases, as well as the late G1/G2 transition stuff being available in Canada... -hx 23:21, 4 April 2010 (EDT)

First Transformers toy?

Does anyone know what was the first original toy created for The Transformers toyline? After Hasbro / Takara exhausted their supply of Microman and Diaclone and unreleased prototypes like Scramble City...what was the first toy designed from the start to be a Transformers figure? Would it be the TFTM molds? --Xaaron 10:44, 7 June 2010 (EDT)

Yes, the movie characters. - Starfield 11:13, 7 June 2010 (EDT)

Time Warrior

Should Time Warrior be listed on this page? Flicky1991 08:14, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

I'd say no. Time Warrior strikes me more as merchandising than as a true part of the toyline. --Khajidha 11:02, 10 August 2012 (EDT)

Same Characters.

The main article claims Goldbug was the first character to clearly be a new figure for an existing character, however Goldbug was released in 1987, a whole year after figures such as Rodimus Prime (same character as Hot Rod), Galvatron (same character as Megatron), Cyclonus and Scourge (both reformatted characters). While it can be argued the Tech Spec and advertising for Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge makes no mention of their previous incarnations, Rodimus' did.

Similarly, the claim that Goldbug was followed by Power Master Optimus as the next reused character might also be challenged. Hot Rod, Kupp, Blurr, Scourge and Cyclonus all gained second retooled versions as Target Masters (though technically these were the same basic toy). --Pittstop 09:54, 28 May 2013 (EDT)

The important word in all that you said is "clearly". Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge were not marketed as previously existing characters. Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime were released at the same time, so Rodimus isn't a "new figure for an existing character". Finally, the Targetmasters are so slightly changed that it is hard to see them as separate toys. Perhaps the wording could be made somewhat clearer, but the basic statement is true. Goldbug was the first time that Hasbro "went back to the well", so to speak. --Khajidha 10:14, 28 May 2013 (EDT)

The Name Game

I'm not sure how to discuss it, but it seems relevant that Transformers had better *names* than competing toylines - GoBots at least usually had a lame pun like "Hans Cuff" or such, while the also-rans were a mix of lazy shit like calling the Corvette "Vette", hokey sci-fi cheese like "Robo-Tron" or bad Scrabble hands ("Meeshak" and "Nofka" from Con-Ver-Tors come to mind...). By comparison, something like "Sunstreaker" or "Thundercracker" is fucking elegant. -hx (talk) 22:11, 27 November 2016 (EST)

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