Yup, see above. Yeah, Metroplex (like the Scramble City guys, Omega Supreme and Trypticon) didn’t feature because he wasn’t around when the script was written. The Movie had a loooong lead-time, so the script was finished roughly concurrently with the early Season 2 scripts. (Metroplex was a Year 3 figure.) The Scramble City guys were originally Diaclone designs, intended for a wave called “Jizai Gattai” that never got off the drawing board because the Diaclone brand got ditched. The idea was revived by Takara for Transformers, so the toys were only ever released in Transformers branding even though they were a Diaclone concept. As far as I’m aware, Metroplex and Trypticon were developed especially for the Transformers brand and weren’t based on any preexisting designs.
Metroplex was definitely developed during "Jizai Gattai" as I believe there are at least artistic renderings of the concept along with the rest of the Scramble City bots. Trypticon is less definitive. There are no concept sheets out there for him so far that pre-dates Scramble City. Right now, the common assumption is that he was designed with scramble City specifically rather than Jizai Gattai. This would explain why Autobot City at least LOOKS like Metroplex while Trypticon doesn't even exist in the 1986 movie.
Well ffod said his transform cog was stolen before the fight so they did explain later why he was not in the fight. I think he had a cameo at autobot city earlier but looks like they had him wait for prime to update him on everything. Guess he missed the whole fight.
Perceptor: “a cursory evaluation of decepticon capabilities indicates a distinct tactical deficiency” Ultra Magnus:”in other words perceptor?” Springer:”we’re outnumbered”
But see whenever I've heard that line, I've never heard it as a question. In fact, the script doesn't have it down as a question, it has it just as a statement.: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/transformers.html
Now that's an interesting point. Perceptor actually DOESN'T say they're outnumbered, he says they are weaker tactically. Which could mean that the Autobots DO have greater numbers but the Decepticons are individually more powerful, or that the Decepticons brought more combiners or something. (I don't remember if any combiners were at that battle besides Devastator.) Springer just interprets what he says as "oh, the other side has more guys."
Given the fact that Kup, Hotrod, and the old toys were OUTSIDE the walls at the time and had been flown over in the Autobot shuttle the Decepticons took over, it's safe to assume they were cut off from the others. Also keep in mind this attack was more of a blitz (As Blaster put it) than the usual "We have the Legendary Sphere of Macguffins!" attacks. There's also the point that Optimus Prime stated they were low on Energon at the beginning of the movie when Ironhide suggested they launch an attack on Cybertron, but that can be jossed by him going to Autobot City for more of it.
I think that Magnus is just a meat and potatoes kind of guy who doesn't want to hear a highbrow evaluation of Decepticon capability. Springer is just being a bit of a smartass.
That’s exactly how I interpret the scene, Magnus saying “in other words perceptor” isn’t a question so much as it’s more of a get to the point statement
I think springer may have been being selfish and just trying to leave so he says this to encourage Arcee to leave.
If this was a live action film with humans instead of robots, couldn't you picture Bruce Willis doing all of Springers lines? "I got better things to do tonight than die" Snarky "We're outnumbered" "It's not hard to knock 'em down; it's getting them to stay down that's the trick" "Kup and Hot Rod just bought it" "Believe it or not, that was the fun part"
Sorry but you seem to be confused There is no evidence that any of the Autobot characters that were outside the city were flown over in the shuttle to join the fight
