Should the autobots and decepticons have a deeper difference than just opposing factions or no.

 

Does it count as genetics when they're built to be a certain way? Like if military hardware had a different set of code to the laborers, does that count as genetic differences? Or are we moreso talking like how the Liege Maximo claims he used his genetics to create a 'taint' in the species and that most Decepticon leaders could probably be traced back to him?

I'm not against the idea in theory but boy oh boy do I expect some takes from this question.

 

Opposing factions, no more, no less.

 

Why though? I'm not keen on people making arbitrary rules about what can and can't be done in fiction.

 

Because saying that the Decpeticons are just inherently evil from the moment they're created can have some.... unfortunate implications. Plus, it's really, really boring to just be like "the good guys are good because they were born good and the bad guys are bad because they were born bad"

 

This is sounding more and more like that stupid 'discussion' about Orcs from Tolkien fiction. That one perpetuated by alleged non-racists that the evil race of monsters are meant to be analogous to certain real world ethnicities.

It's always in that order too: "unfortunate implications + it's reaaally boring.." even though what one person finds boring is super subjective. Perhaps you're looking too deeply into a story?

Also would it be different if they were 'built' good or 'built' evil? The Iron Giant was 'built' to be a weapon of destruction, and yet that's not what he does in the movie of the same name. Plus last I checked no one is saying one should be 'born' good and the other 'born' evil? They're asking if there should be deeper difference between the two than just ideology, and given how they're a machine race... I don't see why that would be an issue. It could be as simple as different hardware, like the Autobots are Macs and the Decepticons are Windows.    

Can someone tell me what those 'unfortunate implications' are? I'm greatly curious.

 

Saying someone is evil because of their genetics echoes real world racist dogma

 

Ah, so this is just another case of pearl-clutching over fiction.

Not convinced.

 

Ok I’m gonna head out because I can tell this is gonna go south………..

 

I feel like trying to make the difference between factions purely genetic in nature actually restricts a lot of story potential by making the morality question a pre-decided thing instead of a moral choice made by each individual character. You can simply write off double agents like Doubledealer, Punch/Counterpunch, or even those who are more neutral in nature like Detritus and Lockdown and ultimately fight for whoever pays them more.

It also eliminates the gray area that makes for the best Tranformers content.

 

Opposing factions, thanks.

The Autobots and Decepticons specifically being different races doesn't even make sense within a species that varies so wildly in physiology both in terms of build and alt-modes.
Also "these were born good, these were born bad" is just... really dumb.

 

This is a good argument against the idea, rather than just whining about muh perceived racism in alien robots.

All I'm saying personally is that no creator should be forced to change their work on moral grounds because that's such a slippery slope.

 

Yeah, pretty much this.

There is some wiggle room for a distinction between "military hardware" and "civilian" hardware, where Decepticons are mostly the former while Autobots are mostly the latter, but that isn't quite the same as being "genetically" different. Maximals and Predacons can kind of confuse the subject since they make a distinction between "Maximal programming" and "Predacon programming", but as shown by Dinobot, it doesn't strictly define them as good or evil based on that.

 

Yeah, if you want racism with transforming space robots, that's what Functionalism is for!

 

There's no genetic difference because there's no genetics period. They're robots.

 

yeah thats whats weird considering these guys can change up their entire structure and alter every part of their body that its really confusing to have genetics even be a thing, its also why the allspark was so freaking weird to me in tf1 where every being made from the thing was an evil killing machine which brings up alot of questions

 

I believe there should largely be an occupational difference between Autobot and Decepticon. Decepticons are largely military and otherwise pre-existing malcontents, the Autobots are mostly laborers with the likes of Warpath being exceptions to the rule. Genetics, though? That has some... really bad implications.

 

It definitely flies a bit too close to some of the old notions we had about race in the real world for my taste. Like, a difference in build quality, being built for civilian work versus military work, sure, but them just being different on a fundamental genetic/programmatic level isn't really what I want out of the franchise. Plus, as has been said, it just kinda kills any greyness of characters like Doubledealer, Devcon, Swindle, Lockdown and the like since we know who they fight for based off the symbol they wear.

If we gotta go down a route of that kind, I'd much rather it be down to something we don't have an analogue for like vehicle mode, and even then, it shouldn't just be a blanket, "Military vehicles and weapons are Decepticons, civilian vehicles are Autobots," it should be a rule of thumb. The fact that it's a general guide and not a hardline guide is what makes characters like Warpath, the Aerialbots, the Stunticons, or Barricade stand out, because they're kinda following the precepts of the other faction.

 

Pretty much what's already been said. It shouldn't be genetics or programming or whatever you'd call it because there's too many gray areas involved in the whole thing for it to work that simply.