I am very interested in how this plays out.

The aligned continuity was supposed to be Hasbro's attempt at wrangling in their own property and giving it an "official" history and continuity. After years of comic companies, cartoons, and movies telling different stories that were all over the map, and even Hasbro themselves starting the lines and stories over totally from scratch time and time again following the Beast Wars era, Hasbro seems to have realized the fractured mess of continuities was starting to work against the brand, because you couldn't simply ask a simple question like "what is the origin of the TFs?" or "What is Optimus Prime's history?" as the franchise history was fractured so badly there was no clear answers without starting a conversation about which timeline or continuity you were referring to.

For example, there are multiple takes on Spider Man, but at the end of the day you can say he was bitten by a spider, got powers, is a nerd, lived with aunt may, etc. Same with Batman. Lots of versions, but his parents were killed, he trained, became Batman, lives in Gotham, and a general timeline that you can reference, although the minor details are always in flux.

So, I applaud Hasbro for trying to reign this in and get an official history and general continuity started. I love TFs dearly, but over the years the constant cycle of new line, new basic story, new basic cast has worn on me. None of the other franchises I'm into suffer from this, so an Aligned Continuity seems great. DC started something similar with the new 52.

But, at the end of the day, is the AC just another continuity? Just another Armada trilogy? A couple of years from now will we get yet another fresh start with a new origin and a new basic cast? Then another? I'm fine if a new line has a new cast, if it is a continuation of the overall history. For example, changing to the S3 characters was a continuation, whereas RID to Armada to Animated and all the comics are totally separate, and begin the Prime/Megatron rivalry over again and again.

One might say constant reinvention keeps the line from stagnating. I agree. But, it's in the very core of these characters to change physically. You can change them all you want, while still keeping at least a loose and general timeline going.

I get having a movie line, and a main toy line. Happens all the time. But TFs have recently been so diluted, all over the place, a fractured mess with now sometimes 3 separate lines running simultaneously, and two "official" comic lines that have nothing to do with the toys, show OR movies.

That's why the franchise NEEDS an aligned continuity. Look at how the past couple of years have resulted in so many line overlaps that entire waves of figures with highly wanted characters are getting cancelled in all the mess. Retailers don't know that we as a fanbase want DOTM Soundwave in wave X. They just know there's like 5 freakin' TF lines that Hasbro is pushing on them and they are still stuck with a crap ton of DOTM.

So, I'm rambling. But, point is, will the attempted TF Bible and AC have longevity, or is this another flash in the pan? Discuss, class.

 

Eh, I actually kind of hope the whole "aligned continuity" thing is just a phase. I LIKE the constant re-invention of Transformers, and the way each series creates their own spin on the same basic ideas. I think it's one thing that has kept it fresh as a franchise, and has led to a wonderfully chaotic multiverse. I think it would stagnate if corralled into one continuity; there would be too many limitations, and the continuity itself would eventually become a ponderous mess of trivia.

I'd rather the powers that be keep the franchise light on its feet, and able to re-invent itself at a moment's notice to fit the times. I suspect this aligned continuity will last for a few shows/lines, until it gets tiresome and gets rebooted. And then it will just be one more little corner of the Transformers multiverse.

 

I think jamming them all into an "aligned continuity" is a mistake.

1) It can't be done in total, only partially due to overlap

2) Denying 25yr old history is going to be hard for anyone to swallow

3)They don't all need to connect to G1 like they try and mash it down our throats, leave that to us purists(laugh people laugh)

Even getting into G1, u have to separate comic from cartoon, already too many mish mash and overlaps.

This is one thing(among quite a few) Dreamwave had over other Transformer comics. They went with the general consensus of things origin and history wise and worked stories to fill in the blanks.

If u want continuity over decades, just check out Marvel or DC.......................

I hope u catch my drift

 

I've come to conclude that the "Aligned Continuity" is all about different continuities sharing something in common. At the moment, this element is Dark Energon. So the WfC gmes can still be the G1 redo that High Moon designed while the PRIME continuity is the PRIME continuity, and the books are the books- some kind of element that ties them together while remaining separate.

I believe that many people take the simple approach by saying WfC is PRIME continuity, when it is far more accurate to say that WfC and PRIME are parts of the Aligned Continuity.

 

Copied and pasted from another thread:

Botcon 2011 Hasbro Story Building Panel - Transformers News - TFW2005

So, as I read the above I conclude the following:

1) No story-verses have to line up
2) Each story-verse is free to contradict each other
3) Same characters aren't required to look anything like each other.
4) That WfC and FoC are still free to be new G1 origins, while still being a part of the Prime family and Rescue Bots family
5) PRIME continuity can act independantly from the books and games.
6) Rescue Bots need not share any history or current story with PRIME, so it's kinda pointless to try to figure out when the events of Rescue Bots correspond to the events of PRIME.
7) If the live actions films are re-booted, they can still fit into the Aligned Continuity since they do not have to look like PRIME or share story elements of PRIME, WfC, Exodus, etc.

The key tie-together seems to be Dark Energon. So, if my conclusions are correct then why not call each different 'Verse a member of the Dark Energon Chricles, or something along those lines? Wouldn't that make more sense than using the phrase "Aligned Continuity"?

 

I like the idea of the Aligned Continuity as being a basic starting point for all future TF fiction. Explain all the origins, etc.

I think Hasbro is in it for the long haul. It will probably become like the G1 continuity, similar characters, settings, aesthetics, etc. all over the map, but still a continuity family. There will be stories that branch of from Prime's history and WFC for years to come. It's already a bit of a mess, but it's a continuity FAMILY, not a singular universe where everything fits together. Hasbro sets guidelines but also leaves enough wiggle room for creative teams to put their own take on the story. It's a good idea, and I hope it lasts, and I hope that story bible lasts as well, as it keeps things unified and "Aligned", hence the name.

There are probably all kinds of character models and the like included in the "Binder of Revelation". I'd actually love to see it written out as a big book and released to the fandom. I think it would be a fascinating read.

 

That binder supposedly has only 300+ pages.

With so few pages, each toyline can only be its own thing; there isn't enough bible to keep every fiction tied together.

 

I think it mostly lays ground work for origins, which wouldn't take many pages. The rest is probably character designs and personality traits that they want to keep unified across the board.

The rest is up to the creative teams working on the specific media.

And I still want to read that binder. It intrigues me so.

 

One thing I expect to happen is that even if the franchise reboots again, certain aspects from Prime will graft onto the franchise as permanents, like the 86 movie brought the Matrix and Unicron. For example I expect Orion Pax and Megatronus as names and the original 13 to be now permanent additions to all continuities moving forward. Perhaps this is the overall goal of the AC, to outline certain plot points in the history like origins.