The Sequel... How would you do it?

[Tramp]

Midichlorians aren't a retcon either, because, once again, there was no error being corrected, which is what retcons are for. Mass shifting wasn't an error. Just because something isn't explained until later doesn't make that explaination a retcon.

 

RetCon = Retroactive Continuity.

 

ret·ro·ac·tive (r�•t'rÅ-�ƒk'tÄ­v) adj. Influencing or applying to a period prior to enactment.

 

Can you cite an authoritative source that does link retcon only to correcting errors? Because there's nothing about it being specifically for errors that I can see in the definition. But it's almost always bad storytelling.

 

Sure I can. Leland Chee and Sue Rostoni over at Lucasfilm Licensing. They are the ones who defined the purpose of Ret-Cons, at least as it allpies to the SW EU.

 

Also, I could argue that since the G1 show never addressed it, the size difference between some robots and their alt. modes could be construed as animation errors that this retcon in particular is fixing. I could, but I won't.

The size shifting of characters like Soundwave, Blaster, and Megatron had nothing to do with animation errors. Minor differences in size from one shot to another could be, but we see all three of these characters grow or shink dramatically as an integral part of their transformations because it was necessary for them to do so.

 

Wrong again. It all depends upon the function of the character; his place in the story and his personality. Soundwave just wouldn't work as a tiny robot, and having him as anything but a form of stereo or communication equipment wouldn't fit either. That is why, the character we know as Frenzy is called "frenzy" since originally he was going to be Soundwave.

 

You have no evidence that it was the size of the character that got the name changed to Freny. The filmmakers have said he wasn't fitting the Soundwave character, and that's it. That statement could apply to any number of aspects about the character.

 

Check the video Q&As by the writers on the official movie site and Don Murphy's Q&A at TransformersCon. Yes, it was mentioned.

 

Wrong. His function as Communications officer requires him to have a form designed specifically for receiving radio transmissions. He needs to be a communications device of some form, be it a stereo system, a CD player, a computer, etc. Not a vehicle. His place in the Decepticon heirarchy requires that his robot mode be on par with that of the other normal sized Decepticons, not a squirt like Frenzy.

 

Um...how about a communications vehicle? There's lots of those in the military and law enforcement fields. Or how about a communications satellite? But really, those just fit him thematically. He's a frickin' alien robot. He could turn into a skateboard and receive communications.

 

However, if you really want to talk about his alt. mode servicing his function on the team, then there's not a single solitary advantage to him turning into a low tech item like a stereo or CD player, because a real stereo or CD player wouldn't fit the needs of the Decepticon's communications. Therefore, it's his Cybertronian robot parts that are actually getting the job done, and not his alt. mode.

 

His alt mode haelped him better blend in because it was innocuous. He could therefore, collect and record more data unobtrusively and communicate this to Megatron. It also better served him for recieving data from others. Sure, a communications vehicle could do some of that, but it can't get into more sensitive locations. It's too obvious. Most people would't look twice at a radio, tape deck, or CD player. That is the advantage for such a mode.

 

Blah, blah, irrelevant AEC stuff...Because of his job as a medivc, he needed an emergency vehicle mode. IF he were striclty a scientist, then a microscope mode would have been more appropriate.

 

What about G1 Wheeljack, the racecar scientist? Alt. Mode is not designated by function, and vice versa.

 

Please see the "The Bond Gadget Test" thread for more Mass Shifting fun. I'm genuinely interested in your answer to the question posed in the first post.

What about him? His alt mode better suited his personality. Secondly, he wasn't a scientist, he was a mechanical engineer. Perceptor was the science geek, and his alt mode fit his personality and function perfectly— a microscope. Wheeljack had the nickname as being a "mad scientist" because his inventions often had a habit of blowing up in his face. Perceptor was a true scientist. His alt mode helped him in his function as a scientist. For a scientist, what better alt mode than a microscope? Soundwave's alt mode helped him in his function as Communications officer.