One thing that has struck me recently is the degree to which the TF´s in the IDW universe could easily be human... I mean, the plots are not really reliant on the characters transforming, rather it is their personalities and relationships that push the stories forward, right?

So I just thought, what if there was a Transformers continuity that makes use of all the characters we love, but they were human instead? I mean, especially the characters from Transformers: The Movie are very antropomorphic, Floro Dery has even said it was his intention. Of course, the setting could still be space, or on another planet and be overall sci-fi... What do you think?

I drew and attached a couple of drawings to show you what I mean  







EDIT: Alright, so I guess the title of this thread is a bit misleading, as I tried to make it a bit eye-catching... I of course agree that at least when it comes to the toys, the transformation gimmick is the whole point of the franchise. I have just observed that in the IDW comic, at least for me, the transformation aspect of the characters is of less importance to the story as compared to their personalities and relationships. I therefore have toyed around (no pun intended) with the thought "what if they were humans instead?" In other words, I am NOT suggesting that Transformers should stop being the transforming robots we all love, I am simply asking this:

Imagine that for example IDW decides to start up a comic where all the TF characters are instead human, but with their personalities and a lot of their original robot designs intact? Their design elements would obviously be translated into helmets, armour, etc (see my drawings). Further, the basic premise would still be the same, a civil war on a faraway planet. There would still be advanced technology, maybe even magic to some degree. Huge characters like Omega Supreme could be giants, small characters like Swerve dwarves. Beastly-looking characters like Waspinator could simply be other races/monsters. Now, if we forget about toys and focus on just the fiction; would it really be that different? Or don't you think we could find analogs for most of the things in the usual TF universes, save transformations? If so, don't you think we would still get a rich and interesting story?

EDIT 2: Further clarification: How about about a comic or movie continuity where the Transformers characters are not robots but humans, and do not transform? This continuity does NOT have to be called "Transformers..." something, its just that it is about characters such as Hot Rod, Arcee and Scourge... as humans! Would the fact that they are humans affect the storytelling a great deal? Could such a continuity be interesting and worthwhile? Yes, the toys would be more like Masters of the Universe, but if we focus on the characters and the storytelling alone? I guess what I´m trying to get at is, Have the characters of the Transformers universe, in some sense, outgrown the toy robots that were their initial reason for coming into existence?

 

Would they morph (ie in G1's Sea Change)? Or would they have their alt mode spill out like sweat? Or like Visionaries? Or would they ride in vehicles of themselves (ie G1's Only Human)?

Because if they don't "transform", they're not Transformers.....

 

Yes, because otherwise they're organics. It's not a problem if they're partly organic or technorganic like in BW/BM, but let's face it, it's not Transformers if they're just organic. Heck, I don't even like it when they're not all from Cybertron.

 

Well, obviously we would have to call them something else in that particular continuity... Yeah, I thought about them riding vehicles of themselves, too!

 

Yes, they have to be robots. How would a human or other organic transform into a car? Driving the car would not make them a Transformer, that would make them a Dave, Don and Richard. I think giant robots transforming into vehicles is an important concept to the brand.
Not to mention how it allows more diverse sizing, instead of Calliburst standing at half Optimus's height, he could be the comparative size of a toy.

 

yes........thread locked! lol

 

Not to drag out the old excuse people say to hate non-transforming TF toys. "If it doesn't transform, it isn't a Transformer" Transformers are robots that turn into things. That is the whole basis of the franchise. If you take that away, might as well just make up a whole new franchise and just use the same character traits.

 

Just because the characters don't all change forms ten times an issue doesn't mean that Transforming isn't a massive part of who they are, and a huge part of the stories. Alt mode segregation is ultimately what started the war. We've had an entire story arc about a disease spread through Transformation. Another about body swapping to experience new alt modes. jokes and mystery's about alt modes. A character who is addicted to transforming, another who transformed himself to death.

 

All right, I have clarified myself in the top post, I hope it clears things up a bit!

 

Similar ideas have been explored in the past in the form of Pretenders, Action Masters, "Only Human", and Beastformers. Ultimately, Hasbro and Takara have decided that the focus of the brand (based on consumer trends) should be on transforming vehicles. But it's a symbiotic relationship. The stories give the characters their heart and the gimmick (transformation) that draws us to learn their stories.

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=what...-fuck-meme-winnie-pooh%2F%3Flang%3Den;613;533

 

no

 

I like my TF's to be robots, I already loath the fact how "human" some of their faces look in the AoE movie.

 

They're robotic organisms.

They're like robots but not exactly.

 

Being robots that transform is what makes them unique. There's millions of movies about humans so why turn Transformers into humans?

 

Do Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles need to be teenagers, mutants, ninjas and or turtles?

 

Nah, if they weren't ninjas they'd just be Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles.

 

Animorphs.

 

They don't need to be Teenagers.

but the Mutant, Ninja and Turtles part must stay.

 

Personally, I love them being alien mechanical organisms. They SHOULD ALWAYS have character as deep as IDW has portrayed them. But I don't particularly like the idea of a series/story where they're biological. I see no benefit to it. A good character is a good character regardless of what they're made of. C3PO would be as enjoyable if he was a human, but him being a droid adds to his character.