Well what do you expect. Step back and take a look at what we're discussing here. There is no non-ghey point of view on this topic.

The reason for size or mass shifting, from a story perspective, is that it allows larger bots, like Soundwave and Perceptor, take on modes which are better suited to their individual functions as well as hide in plain sight because those modes are also very innocuous.

 

I don't think you really take into consideration that they're robots. If Perceptor needs to look at something microscopic, his robotic eyes can do that. If Soundwave needs to send or receive a message over great distances, his robotic ears can do that. Suggesting that advanced living alien robots need to turn into mundane hand held Earth objects to accomplish these functions is ridiculous.

 

A small bot is well suited for espionage, which is apparently Frenzy's function in the movie now, but would not be suited for an upper eschelon officer like Soundwave because power is a key factor in Decepticon ranks, and a small bot would not be that powerful.

 

But why are we sending an upper echelon officer to do a minion's work? If Soundwave's size is dictated by his rank, then it negates his need to really turn into something tiny for spying. I mean, you rarely see M in the field with Bond. He's either too important to send on an information gathering task, or he's got to be big and strong to justify his rank.

 

Also, if I were an upper echelon officer, I certainly wouldn't want to limit my mobility in alt. mode. If you can't move out of a tight spot without calling attention to yourself, you're not much of a spy.

 

A mode like a stereo system is better suited for recieving transmissions and radio waves, as well as relaying that information to the commander. Sure, a communications vehicle could pick up the signals, but how would Megatron recieve the messages or hear the transmissions?

 

Because he's a robot! You know those little flip up screens on MP Prime's arms? Those are for communication. He sends and receives transmissions. The Transformers don't need a tape player to perform such basic functions. Real tape players don't even perform the functions Soundwave does. So, it's pointless to argue that he needs to be a tape player to do those things.

 

But, hell, look at what cars carry around inside of them now, CD players, HD radio, MP3 players, Satellite Radio, DVD Players...if you absolutely insist that advanced robots from another planet need Earth technology, even when they use the technology for things it doesn't do, what's wrong with all that stuff being in Soundwave's alt. mode?

 

From my own experience in the Army as a communications specialist, someone needs to man a communications van and then deliver the messages. With an alt mode that is a radio, the other Decepticons could hear the transmissions directly as Soundwave recieves them, or he can play them back later. Therefore, given his position in the Decepticon heirarchy, as well as his function as Communications Officer, the ability to mass shift into a small communications devce, like a stereo system or computer, is pretty essential. An alt mode like a microscope is better suited for scientific studies and examining various subjects. and, in both cases, having over-sized versions of those types of objects would be even more ridiculous than the ability to shrink down to the proper size for such an object.

 

They.

 

Are.

 

Robots.

 

From another planet! Our technology means nothing to them, and they transform for primarily one reason - to hide.

 

They don't need to transform to perform those functions. That's just more kiddie cartoon logic. How do you think Perceptor looked at microscopic stuff on Cybertron before he became an Earth microscope? Did he transform into a Cybertronian microscope? And, if there even are Cybertronian microscopes, then why did whoever invent that magnification process decide to make it a device outside of their own robotic eyes, and not an addition to them?

 

And, let's not forget that on Cybertron Soundwave transformed into a lamp post. Could he not send and receive transmissions on Cybertron, or do lamp posts on Cybertron perform those functions?

 

 

There you have a reason, and a pseudo-scientific method for mass shifting.

 

I'm still waiting on a good reason. Like I said in the first post, it has got to be vital to the characters that this mass shifting occur. But everything you've stated so far has a simpler solution in the fact that we're dealing with advanced technological beings in the first place. I mean, you really want to waste the audience's time with all this techno-babble so that a robot can send and receive radio transmissions? After a huge part of this first film is

how Bumblebee makes constant use of his car radio

? Doesn't that seem a tad redundant?

 

Sorry, bad storytelling. Make it vital or don't use it.

Nano-tech I guess could be used to help with the mass shift and sense these guys already "automorph" maybe they could use liquid metal like in T2. There is a catch to this thought, there would have to be limit of sorts. What that limit is, I don't know.

Dude!! Did you even read my post? cause i already compared it to T2 and gave some suggested limitations.

 

Nope but at least I wasn't the only one thinking that way.

 

As for what CP was talking about with the liquid metal backlash, I just think it would fit in along the lines of morphing. I don't like it but thats just what I was thinking.

I don't think you really take into consideration that they're robots. If Perceptor needs to look at something microscopic, his robotic eyes can do that. If Soundwave needs to send or receive a message over great distances, his robotic ears can do that. Suggesting that advanced living alien robots need to turn into mundane hand held Earth objects to accomplish these functions is ridiculous.

The tf's may have robotic bodies but in practically every series, their minds are very similar to that of regular humans. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a tf display a level of intelligence above that of a normal human. Sure, their technology may be more advanced but it still runs on the same basic principles as Earth tech. It's possible that tf's do not understand how to fully utilize their robotic bodies due to their more "organic" thought processes.

I don't think you really take into consideration that they're robots. If Perceptor needs to look at something microscopic, his robotic eyes can do that. If Soundwave needs to send or receive a message over great distances, his robotic ears can do that. Suggesting that advanced living alien robots need to turn into mundane hand held Earth objects to accomplish these functions is ridiculous.

The tf's may have robotic bodies but in practically every series, their minds are very similar to that of regular humans. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a tf display a level of intelligence above that of a normal human. Sure, their technology may be more advanced but it still runs on the same basic principles as Earth tech. It's possible that tf's do not understand how to fully utilize their robotic bodies due to their more "organic" thought processes.

 

Well, considering that I am a human, and I was the one who suggesting making full use of their robotic vision and stuff, they only have to be as smart as me to figure it out. Which, believe me, can't be too hard.

 

Thus, your point is negated.

I don't think you really take into consideration that they're robots. If Perceptor needs to look at something microscopic, his robotic eyes can do that. If Soundwave needs to send or receive a message over great distances, his robotic ears can do that. Suggesting that advanced living alien robots need to turn into mundane hand held Earth objects to accomplish these functions is ridiculous.

The tf's may have robotic bodies but in practically every series, their minds are very similar to that of regular humans. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a tf display a level of intelligence above that of a normal human. Sure, their technology may be more advanced but it still runs on the same basic principles as Earth tech. It's possible that tf's do not understand how to fully utilize their robotic bodies due to their more "organic" thought processes.

 

Well, considering that I am a human, and I was the one who suggesting making full use of their robotic vision and stuff, they only have to be as smart as me to figure it out. Which, believe me, can't be too hard.

 

Thus, your point is negated.

So you've mastered telepathy & levitation now then?

I don't think you really take into consideration that they're robots. If Perceptor needs to look at something microscopic, his robotic eyes can do that. If Soundwave needs to send or receive a message over great distances, his robotic ears can do that. Suggesting that advanced living alien robots need to turn into mundane hand held Earth objects to accomplish these functions is ridiculous.

The tf's may have robotic bodies but in practically every series, their minds are very similar to that of regular humans. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a tf display a level of intelligence above that of a normal human. Sure, their technology may be more advanced but it still runs on the same basic principles as Earth tech. It's possible that tf's do not understand how to fully utilize their robotic bodies due to their more "organic" thought processes.

Actually Hornet thats not true.

TFs act like they do because they are a CHILDREN'S CARTOON. LIKE FOR KIDS AND STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So they really only have to be smarter than their target audience. Which are 5-7 year olds.

 

This is going to be the first time EVER that TFs are designed with a story and actual character motivation being thought out FIRST. and then marketing and toys and stuff much later.

This is going to be the first time EVER that TFs are designed with a story and actual character motivation being thought out FIRST. and then marketing and toys and stuff much later.

Actually, I think it's more of a 50/50 split. Previously, the media was more about marketing the toys and the story came latter. The new movie seems to put equal empathis on marketing and story.

Nano-tech I guess could be used to help with the mass shift and sense these guys already "automorph" maybe they could use liquid metal like in T2. There is a catch to this thought, there would have to be limit of sorts. What that limit is, I don't know.

Dude!! Did you even read my post? cause i already compared it to T2 and gave some suggested limitations.

 

Nope but at least I wasn't the only one thinking that way.

 

As for what CP was talking about with the liquid metal backlash, I just think it would fit in along the lines of morphing. I don't like it but thats just what I was thinking.

Why do you bring up morphing? And why do you bring up the new TOY-related term "automorphing" for the movie so often? It only applies to the fact that the toys have some auto-moving parts to their transformations...it's not an essential part to the actual movie.

 

This is going to be the first time EVER that TFs are designed with a story and actual character motivation being thought out FIRST. and then marketing and toys and stuff much later.

Actually, I think it's more of a 50/50 split. Previously, the media was more about marketing the toys and the story came latter. The new movie seems to put equal empathis on marketing and story.

Ummm... I think it's more 70/30 or even 80/20 with more emphasis on the movie/story itself.

So you've mastered telepathy & levitation now then?

 

:wtf