What would you include? If there was to be a list of say 50 (for now) of the top questions and answers you hear or see asked the most that you could present as a list to a person new to the fandom or forums that in one fell swoop would get them a good foot in door, what would you place on it? Make no mistake I am not thinking there will ever be a definitive list of X questions with set in stone answers that would solve it all for everyone, there never will be. These need to be more of the simple type questions for the first 50 like a short explanation of the general history of the Autobots, Decepticons and their home of Cybertron, things like mass shifting as a story feature, flying as a story feature, Energon in it's various forms. the many forms of the all-spark. the introductory stuff. For example the Autobots in the general history of the franchise began as the peaceful sect of the transformers while the Decepticons, through various methods tried to conquer the Autobots and Cybertron with varying results in varying media ranging from millions of years of war, to the eventual energy depletion and evacuation of Cybertron, the collecting of tiny robots, and so on. (for part 2 to be began at a later date and the next however many questions we will step up the scope including continuity families, more detailed character discussions, and things of that next level) And before anyone says it, yes, there are wikis and google and all that but that is not the point of this exercise, this is to craft a unified FAQ thread we can sticky at the top of our forum here, It seems it would profit us all greatly to begin to construct an immediate reference to the burning questions of the transformers universe to have at our collective fingertips While we are at it, in the top of the FAQ we of course, can also provide links to some of the outside resources for those willing to use them, which it honestly doesn't seem like everyone is. After we get a good amount of selections I will consult with some of the elder board members and staff to see what they feel fits the list the best. Remember for this time lets keep it introductory
Q: Where can I find Transformers to buy online(for US and overseas)? A: BigBadToyStore.com - Toys, Action Figures, Vintage Toys, and Collectibles TFsource.com - Your source for everything Transformers! From Encore to e-hobby, Masterpiece, WST, G1 Toys and more. HobbyLink Japan | Home Page Kapow Toys robotkingdom.com -- Online Toys Company Japan Import Toys Transformers Classic Encore Reissue Hasbro Kaiyodo Anime Gundam Macross - ToyArena.com Captured Prey - Great Toys, Great Prices, Great Service Transformers-Toys-Action Figures-Store-Pictures
Don't forget to mention all of the current sponsors as well, even if they might not come to mind right away (gotta keep the seeker gods happy), and maybe even something where people who've bought from the said stores would share their experiences in a collected area. Also, what about an ebay related part? Along with that, what about a couple of links & whatnot in regards to transformer identification? I mean, that might not matter a whole lot when it comes to the new movie figures, but having a few places to start can go a long way when it comes to new & returning collectors, as well as anyone really who's got knock offs or otherwise less mainstream toys. /rat'cents
Q: I have a Transformer, but I don't know what it is. Where can I look besides google? A: Check out the 1st & 2nd links, and go through the narrowing process. If you don't find your answer there, start a thread in the Transformers Toy section, as there's likely someone else who's come across it before. It helps to type out any identification markings & words on the toy (dates, company names, etc), anything else that you can remember about it, and pictures are always good. Then in the meantime, you can always browse the 3rd & 4th links to familiarize yourself with what's out there. 1) Identify Transformers Figures and Parts from G1 and G2 and Machine Wars 2) STA: Transformers 3) Transformers Resources - Transformers Toys Database - TFW2005 4) Identify Your Unknown Transformer - www.tfu.info ... Not sure if that's how you'd like to set this up, but that's sort of what I had in mind. Then when it comes to the online store feedback, I was thinking that having threads on the said stores could be a good thing, what with the fact that hearing directly from others who've bought from the stores in the past is always an incentive for people to buy from them on their own.
Check out Steve O's FAQ from 2004. Out of date, but covers so much useful stuff: Steve-o's Transformers Site I love the stuff about web forum posters vs the "elitist" alt.newsgroup posters. That stuff probably goes over the heads of newer fans, but its amusing nevertheless.
I'd suggest flipping those so TFW is #1, TFU.info is #2, and Transformerland is #3. I think of Toyarchive.com as more of a supplemental resource for TFs. It lacks the comprehensive, detailed info that TFW and TFU offer, and lacks the consistency and professional look that both TFW and TFU have as well, and it's more of a general vintage toy resource to begin with. I saw this thread yesterday and thought about linking Steve-O's site as well, but figured someone else would and I could go back to watching a movie. Thanks for not disappointing me. Questions about the G1 Marvel Comics series seem frequent on this forum, and a link to TFArchive - Transformers Comics covers pretty much anything one might want to know. The TFWiki's coverage of the G1 comics is equally useful, but I like tfarchive's comics reviews because they are so thoroughly detailed. The "where can I get toy instructions" questions has been asked a lot too: Transformers Instruction Archive HASBRO.COM TOY & GAME INSTRUCTIONS I'll add some others later.
Q. Which one is red/blue, Frenzy or Rumble? A. That question will never have a definitive answer. The color of Frenzy and Rumble varies from continuity to continuity, and sprouted from an error in planning in the original Sunbow cartoon. This question, while being one of the most hotly debated "issues" in Transformers lore, boils down to an opinionated answer. The proper question would be along the lines of, "What color is Frenzy/Rumble in X continuity?"
Q: What is ____insert name of Transformers toy/product here____ worth? A: It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Q: In Transformers: The Movie, which specific characters did Unicron reformat into Cyclonus and Scourge? A: *facepalm*
I've never understood this. The toys came first, which makes Rumble originally red and Frenzy blue. Their appearance in the cartoon is just a running mistake. If they'd swapped Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's colours in the cartoon from the toys we wouldn't be having this discussion. Anyway, just my Carry on...
Q: Is the OP going to be keeping up on his/her thread? A: ..... For real, is was a good idea. I would hate to see it get buried.
Actually, we would. The colors were originally planned to be the reverse, and that's why Sunstreaker has red stickers. We'd be having a prototype&cartoon red Sunstreaker Vs toy&comic yellow Sunstreaker war. Sad but true.
