Did the creators ever say that Animated Ops and Megs were based off of the Battlestars designs (Star Convoy and Super Megs). In my boredom of hoping and waiting for a torrent for the SEASON finale I just wondered if they said it, cuz I've thought it for some time. Seems obvious in both designs to me, but I could be wrong...
They seem like even blends. Optimus is basically every G1 Optimus Prime inspired design ever made simple, Animated and given a real face. Megatron does seem heavily inspired by Super Megatron, but more like he's based off G1 Megs with S Megs influences, again made simple so as to not come off as over-done and cluttered. I don't think either were officially stated as homages to anyone besides their namesakes, so take that as you will.
Animated Megatron does seem to take some cues from Super Megatron - the cannon, and the shoulders - but he is mostly his own design. Animated Optimus is the G1 design re imagined. It transforms in the same basic way, and even has the same gaps in the robot mode where the arms are in vehicle mode just like the original.
I mainly saw it in Optimus chest area... looks like a direct copy of the battlestars design(At least to me ). Just seemed vary similar. And as Split said, Megatron seems like a simplified and uncluttered version of Super Megs.
Hmm, yeah, when you put the two side by side like that, I can see they have the same windows and headlights, good call.
Actually, in the show Optimus's arms transform nothing like G1 Prime's. They slide out and unfold from the side doors. The Voyager figure is more like G1 Prime.
Here's Megs looks like they took cues from, but simplified, the design... see it mostly in the earth mode. Or it could just be the fact that they both look like beefed up versions of G1 Megs...