Had a funy thought today:

Instead of having the Autobots usually being the civilian cars and trucks while the Decepticons are usually mighty military vehicles (Yeah, I know about the exceptions) what if it was the Autobots who adapted military forms, while the Decepticons took a more civilian visage and waged their war in a more guirella, terrorist fashion?

 

Interesting proposal. Even in Shattered Glass this wasn't the case, and it would've made things a lot more interesting if it had been.

 

Didn't the Go-Bots KINDA went with this idea?

 

That'd be kinda cool, actually. It'd work well for any continuity where the Autobots are working with the humans. Maybe a stand-alone comic series.

 

An interesting thought. Sort of Shattered Glass-like, but a real inversion of character types.

My first thought was Aerialbots vs. Stunticons, but might make an interesting subject for a fanfic.

 

Would be interesting. I think Bumblebee would make for a nice yellow Sherman tank, lol.

 

I had similar thoughts buzz through my head recently. I keep looking at my HFTD Breacher, and he looks like he'd make a pretty neat Optimus Prime or Ultra Magnus (his head even seems a bit Prime-ish/Magnus-ish - it has the antennae on the sides of his head). Quick, someone make a digibash!

 

There's an interesting thought. I've been thinking for a while that having Decepticons operate as terrorists would be an interesting idea (as well as relate to their name). They would rampage through cities and important strategic locations before reverting to vehicle form and disappearing, leaving behind a terrified populace.

The Autobots, on the other hand, could be the Cybertronian government's military force, tasked to seek and destroy with threats to Cybertron and advance freedom. Optimus Prime's unit could have been specifically tasked to root out Megatron's Decepticon terrorist network.

The Autobots could ally themselves with the U.S. military in much the same way that human armies use local guides: they need people who are familiar with the local terrain and politics. This would also explain their military vehicle forms: they scanned forms that their soldier allies were familiar with, making their alliance more synergistic. To sweeten the deal, the Autobots would trade technology with the U.S. military, enabling their new allies to stand a chance against Decepticon terrorists.

In order to round out the Autobot cast, we could use Springer and Roadbuster. Springer could retain a Cybertronian third form to make triple-changing easier. We could reuse Hotshot, taking inspiration from his Cybertron Defense Force mold. Scattorshot's Cybertron incarnation could make a return as well, filling both artillery and technical niches. Ratchet's Movie version could work as a medical officer who turns into a Humvee. As for Optimus himself, he could become a LSVR (a transport vehicle similar to Animated Ultra Magnus's alternate form, only without all the guns).

The Decepticons, meanwhile, would have to undergo some cast changes. Megatron wouldn't be difficult to incorporate. A form similar to his DotM incarnation would work just fine. Starscream wouldn't work, though; his jet form is pure military; switching him to a civilian aircraft just wouldn't work. However, the Stunticons could work, as could reimaginings of Soundwave's team into civilian vehicles (Alternators and Animated did most of the work, reformatting Soundwave, Ravage, Rumble, and Frenzy). Starscream's absence could be explained by stating that Megatron purged all would-be traitors in his organization years ago. Throw in some TFPrime Vehicons as suicide bombers and we're set.

Characterization-wise, I would have Optimus be more harsh in his treatment of evildoers. He would still be compassionate, of course, but he would reserve that compassion only for the innocent. Anyone who threatens them is going to have a very brief, very painful life.

Megatron, on the other hand, would be a complete monster who wants to tear down all galactic civilization and replace it with a galaxy where the strong do what they want while the weak cower as they must. This version would have no sympathic moments whatsoever, and would be held in fear by most of the cast.

 

An interesting concept, but I always liked the idea of the alternate mode being a reflection of the 'bots personality, and the Decepticons being inheirantly more aggressive, destructive, and violent. This seems like it would kind of get in the way of that, especially when it makes the Decepticons a less threatening aggressive force without some modifications. Unless you wanted to really play up the subversive/insurgant angle for the Decepticons.

 

I'm surprised how rare a deceptive Decepticon is. Off the top of my head, Barricade is the only one I can think of.


I was doodling around with a similar idea, though ended up with a more 'political' angle for the 'Cons; Megatron transformed into a presidental limo (I think he had to mass-shift a bit, which left the door open for a gun mode), and he had guard 'Cons that transformed into secret service-type 'copies.' Megatron here, while still ruthless, wasn't going to go around unprotected.
Alternatively, Megs could've became something like the Marine One (and Starscream be Marine Two).
Not sure if those are civilian or military, or both/neither. =/

 

I think that having the alternate mode reflect the Transformer's personality is a thing best left to civilian Transformers. If we run with my idea of the Autobots being a military force, then it doesn't work. No human military worthy of the name lets you customize your uniform to suit your personality; I doubt that an alien military would function any differently. Besides, these alternate forms would be taken on for function, not form; they are a tool, like a rifle or an entrenching tool (read: shovel).

With the Decepticons, I do want to play up the subversive/insurgent angle. Your average 'Con is a thug with a gun, but the Decepticons as a whole make up for their relative weakness by practicing asymmetrical warfare, wherein you target your opponent's weaknesses (say, targeting a civilian population). In asymmetrical warfare, if you are in a strength-to-strength confrontation with your enemy, you're doing it wrong. Megatron would be a world-class killing machine, of course, but he'd be one of a few.

Of course, this all operates off of my previous post. If you disagree with that, please feel free to ignore this post.

 

After my initial idea could come the exceptions.

For example, the Combaticons could be the Decepticon answer to the Autobot Military... the same way the Aerialbots were an answer to the flying Decepticons.

Speaking of Aerialbots... they're military any way, so they fit in with my Militaristic Autobots, and the Stunticons being similar fashion for the "in disguise" Decption-Cons. (see what I did there?)