While Iconic appearances may mean squat to you, It is very important to a lot of fans, proboalby the most important thing to them. Yes, coming up with a plausible reason for the Dinobots having their dinosaur modes is important, but that does not mean that thye should not have their iconic alternate modes, especially Grimlock. As for reasons why they might choose a dinosaur mode in modern times? Simple, they land in a museum to natural history near the dinosaur exhibit. Dinosaurs are the first thing they see, and take those modes before even stepping outside. A big part of the choice of an alternate mode is the personal preference of the bot in question. According to his Robovision bio, Prime took on the flamed Freightliner mode because he liked the look of it. Why can't Grimlock use the same reasoning? He liked the look of the T-Rex, and chose it for his alternate mode. I would say that is reason enough.

 

Prime liked the looked of the flamed Freightliner when compared to other things that would disguise him.

 

When you're up against tanks and jets that turn into your enemies, dino modes don't offer any tactical advantage, be it stealth, fire power, speed...in the real world, a Dinobot would be the first one dead.

 

I don't think so. Robotic dino forms would stomp all over the tanks and chomp on the jets. Their tactical advantage is just plain strength. I mean look at Scorponok he didn't have fire power or speed but he is still one tough fighter.

 

Put a real dinosaur against a real tank or a real jet, and I guarantee we'll be having T-Rex t-bones for dinner. You can argue that they're not real dinosaurs, but rather Cybertronian robots in dino-skin, but then it's the Cybertronian robot bits that are making short work of the tanks and jets. Which means I have to ask again: What is the dino-skin bringing to the party, other than a slavish devotion to a 20 year old cartoon concept and no concern for the movie being made now?

 

Grimlock's character deserves an alt. mode that's more than fanwank.

 

Also, Scorpy moves lightning quick in the commercials. I think his scorpion mode was probably chosen by the character with the desert terrain in mind. So a dino mode makes total sense if we can somehow shoehorn a prehistoric Earth environment into the sequel. Maybe Movie Wheeljack can turn into a DeLorean? FLUX CAPACITOR'D!

 

Besides from everything we've seen, Scorponok's fighting humans only. I'd imagine he'd be made short work of by Optimus Prime.

 

Also, despite what the toy would have you believe, I'm pretty sure

Scorpy's just a Ravage-style minion, and the scorpion is his robot mode. His alt. mode is a piece of the copter, or cargo on board it.

. <-- Goki, can I get a ruling on that?

 

 

Do you know that you are saying the exact same thing that many, myself included, said about the movie designs when we first saw them, that they couldn't withstand much in battle? Why is a robotic t-rex more fragile than say, Jazz as a Pontiac Solstice? Considering how easily helipcopters can crash and burn, then Blackout must not be all that strong either. Hell, by your thinking, the only one that stands even a remote chance in battle is Brawl, but there are many a dead soldier that prove otherwise.

 

Grimlock doesn't even have to be based on a t-rex, he could just be some bipedal monster that is dinosaur-like in appearance. He could have deadly claws and teeth that cut into metal and he could even should laser blasts out of his mouth. Not only that, he would be able to run and have agility. There is no reason for Grimlock to not have a t-rex or t-rex like alt-mode.

While Iconic appearances may mean squat to you, It is very important to a lot of fans, proboalby the most important thing to them. Yes, coming up with a plausible reason for the Dinobots having their dinosaur modes is important, but that does not mean that thye should not have their iconic alternate modes, especially Grimlock. As for reasons why they might choose a dinosaur mode in modern times? Simple, they land in a museum to natural history near the dinosaur exhibit. Dinosaurs are the first thing they see, and take those modes before even stepping outside. A big part of the choice of an alternate mode is the personal preference of the bot in question. According to his Robovision bio, Prime took on the flamed Freightliner mode because he liked the look of it. Why can't Grimlock use the same reasoning? He liked the look of the T-Rex, and chose it for his alternate mode. I would say that is reason enough.

 

Prime liked the looked of the flamed Freightliner when compared to other things that would disguise him.

 

When you're up against tanks and jets that turn into your enemies, dino modes don't offer any tactical advantage, be it stealth, fire power, speed...in the real world, a Dinobot would be the first one dead.

 

I don't think so. Robotic dino forms would stomp all over the tanks and chomp on the jets. Their tactical advantage is just plain strength. I mean look at Scorponok he didn't have fire power or speed but he is still one tough fighter.

 

Put a real dinosaur against a real tank or a real jet, and I guarantee we'll be having T-Rex t-bones for dinner. You can argue that they're not real dinosaurs, but rather Cybertronian robots in dino-skin, but then it's the Cybertronian robot bits that are making short work of the tanks and jets. Which means I have to ask again: What is the dino-skin bringing to the party, other than a slavish devotion to a 20 year old cartoon concept and no concern for the movie being made now?

 

Grimlock's character deserves an alt. mode that's more than fanwank.

 

Also, Scorpy moves lightning quick in the commercials. I think his scorpion mode was probably chosen by the character with the desert terrain in mind. So a dino mode makes total sense if we can somehow shoehorn a prehistoric Earth environment into the sequel. Maybe Movie Wheeljack can turn into a DeLorean? FLUX CAPACITOR'D!

 

Besides from everything we've seen, Scorponok's fighting humans only. I'd imagine he'd be made short work of by Optimus Prime.

 

Also, despite what the toy would have you believe, I'm pretty sure

Scorpy's just a Ravage-style minion, and the scorpion is his robot mode. His alt. mode is a piece of the copter, or cargo on board it.

. <-- Goki, can I get a ruling on that?

 

 

Do you know that you are saying the exact same thing that many, myself included, said about the movie designs when we first saw them, that they couldn't withstand much in battle? Why is a robotic t-rex more fragile than say, Jazz as a Pontiac Solstice? Considering how easily helipcopters can crash and burn, then Blackout must not be all that strong either. Hell, by your thinking, the only one that stands even a remote chance in battle is Brawl, but there are many a dead soldier that prove otherwise.

 

Grimlock doesn't even have to be based on a t-rex, he could just be some bipedal monster that is dinosaur-like in appearance. He could have deadly claws and teeth that cut into metal and he could even should laser blasts out of his mouth. Not only that, he would be able to run and have agility. There is no reason for Grimlock to not have a t-rex or t-rex like alt-mode.

 

Not even close. The movie designs can withstand a ton in battle because they are alien robots and not really earth vehicles. That's a separate issue.

 

What I'm saying is that when you remove the alien robot aspect, the alt. modes in the movie all still serve a function. Speed, or flight, or firepower. They all serve to disguise, even a tiny boom box like Frenzy.

 

The problem is a dinosaur mode doesn't offer anything when the alien robot aspect is taken away (except maybe flight from a Pterodactyl type mode, but even then, why not just be a jet which is faster and packing missles?).

 

Teeth and claws that cut into metal, lasers shot out of the mouth, that's all because of the alien robot, not anything the dinosaur itself adds to the party.

While Iconic appearances may mean squat to you, It is very important to a lot of fans, proboalby the most important thing to them. Yes, coming up with a plausible reason for the Dinobots having their dinosaur modes is important, but that does not mean that thye should not have their iconic alternate modes, especially Grimlock. As for reasons why they might choose a dinosaur mode in modern times? Simple, they land in a museum to natural history near the dinosaur exhibit. Dinosaurs are the first thing they see, and take those modes before even stepping outside. A big part of the choice of an alternate mode is the personal preference of the bot in question. According to his Robovision bio, Prime took on the flamed Freightliner mode because he liked the look of it. Why can't Grimlock use the same reasoning? He liked the look of the T-Rex, and chose it for his alternate mode. I would say that is reason enough.

 

Prime liked the looked of the flamed Freightliner when compared to other things that would disguise him.

 

When you're up against tanks and jets that turn into your enemies, dino modes don't offer any tactical advantage, be it stealth, fire power, speed...in the real world, a Dinobot would be the first one dead.

 

I don't think so. Robotic dino forms would stomp all over the tanks and chomp on the jets. Their tactical advantage is just plain strength. I mean look at Scorponok he didn't have fire power or speed but he is still one tough fighter.

 

You just don't want animals period is my assumption. So what if they decided to bring in the Dinobots and the Predacons (instead of the Constructicons)? Would you also be opposed to the Predacons bearing animal modes?

Put a real dinosaur against a real tank or a real jet, and I guarantee we'll be having T-Rex t-bones for dinner. You can argue that they're not real dinosaurs, but rather Cybertronian robots in dino-skin, but then it's the Cybertronian robot bits that are making short work of the tanks and jets. Which means I have to ask again: What is the dino-skin bringing to the party, other than a slavish devotion to a 20 year old cartoon concept and no concern for the movie being made now?

 

Grimlock's character deserves an alt. mode that's more than fanwank.

 

Also, Scorpy moves lightning quick in the commercials. I think his scorpion mode was probably chosen by the character with the desert terrain in mind. So a dino mode makes total sense if we can somehow shoehorn a prehistoric Earth environment into the sequel. Maybe Movie Wheeljack can turn into a DeLorean? FLUX CAPACITOR'D!

 

Besides from everything we've seen, Scorponok's fighting humans only. I'd imagine he'd be made short work of by Optimus Prime.

 

Also, despite what the toy would have you believe, I'm pretty sure

Scorpy's just a Ravage-style minion, and the scorpion is his robot mode. His alt. mode is a piece of the copter, or cargo on board it.

. <-- Goki, can I get a ruling on that?

 

 

Do you know that you are saying the exact same thing that many, myself included, said about the movie designs when we first saw them, that they couldn't withstand much in battle? Why is a robotic t-rex more fragile than say, Jazz as a Pontiac Solstice? Considering how easily helipcopters can crash and burn, then Blackout must not be all that strong either. Hell, by your thinking, the only one that stands even a remote chance in battle is Brawl, but there are many a dead soldier that prove otherwise.

 

Grimlock doesn't even have to be based on a t-rex, he could just be some bipedal monster that is dinosaur-like in appearance. He could have deadly claws and teeth that cut into metal and he could even should laser blasts out of his mouth. Not only that, he would be able to run and have agility. There is no reason for Grimlock to not have a t-rex or t-rex like alt-mode.

 

Not even close. The movie designs can withstand a ton in battle because they are alien robots and not really earth vehicles. That's a separate issue.

 

What I'm saying is that when you remove the alien robot aspect, the alt. modes in the movie all still serve a function. Speed, or flight, or firepower. They all serve to disguise, even a tiny boom box like Frenzy.

 

The problem is a dinosaur mode doesn't offer anything when the alien robot aspect is taken away (except maybe flight from a Pterodactyl type mode, but even then, why not just be a jet which is faster and packing missles?).

 

Teeth and claws that cut into metal, lasers shot out of the mouth, that's all because of the alien robot, not anything the dinosaur itself adds to the party.

 

What if they decided that instead of bringing for the sequel Dinobots vs. Constructicons, how about Dinobots vs. Predacons? Would you also be opposed to the Predacons having animal modes?

While Iconic appearances may mean squat to you, It is very important to a lot of fans, proboalby the most important thing to them. Yes, coming up with a plausible reason for the Dinobots having their dinosaur modes is important, but that does not mean that thye should not have their iconic alternate modes, especially Grimlock. As for reasons why they might choose a dinosaur mode in modern times? Simple, they land in a museum to natural history near the dinosaur exhibit. Dinosaurs are the first thing they see, and take those modes before even stepping outside. A big part of the choice of an alternate mode is the personal preference of the bot in question. According to his Robovision bio, Prime took on the flamed Freightliner mode because he liked the look of it. Why can't Grimlock use the same reasoning? He liked the look of the T-Rex, and chose it for his alternate mode. I would say that is reason enough.

 

Prime liked the looked of the flamed Freightliner when compared to other things that would disguise him.

 

When you're up against tanks and jets that turn into your enemies, dino modes don't offer any tactical advantage, be it stealth, fire power, speed...in the real world, a Dinobot would be the first one dead.

 

I don't think so. Robotic dino forms would stomp all over the tanks and chomp on the jets. Their tactical advantage is just plain strength. I mean look at Scorponok he didn't have fire power or speed but he is still one tough fighter.

 

You just don't want animals period is my assumption. So what if they decided to bring in the Dinobots and the Predacons (instead of the Constructicons)? Would you also be opposed to the Predacons bearing animal modes?

Put a real dinosaur against a real tank or a real jet, and I guarantee we'll be having T-Rex t-bones for dinner. You can argue that they're not real dinosaurs, but rather Cybertronian robots in dino-skin, but then it's the Cybertronian robot bits that are making short work of the tanks and jets. Which means I have to ask again: What is the dino-skin bringing to the party, other than a slavish devotion to a 20 year old cartoon concept and no concern for the movie being made now?

 

Grimlock's character deserves an alt. mode that's more than fanwank.

 

Also, Scorpy moves lightning quick in the commercials. I think his scorpion mode was probably chosen by the character with the desert terrain in mind. So a dino mode makes total sense if we can somehow shoehorn a prehistoric Earth environment into the sequel. Maybe Movie Wheeljack can turn into a DeLorean? FLUX CAPACITOR'D!

 

Besides from everything we've seen, Scorponok's fighting humans only. I'd imagine he'd be made short work of by Optimus Prime.

 

Also, despite what the toy would have you believe, I'm pretty sure

Scorpy's just a Ravage-style minion, and the scorpion is his robot mode. His alt. mode is a piece of the copter, or cargo on board it.

. <-- Goki, can I get a ruling on that?

 

 

Do you know that you are saying the exact same thing that many, myself included, said about the movie designs when we first saw them, that they couldn't withstand much in battle? Why is a robotic t-rex more fragile than say, Jazz as a Pontiac Solstice? Considering how easily helipcopters can crash and burn, then Blackout must not be all that strong either. Hell, by your thinking, the only one that stands even a remote chance in battle is Brawl, but there are many a dead soldier that prove otherwise.

 

Grimlock doesn't even have to be based on a t-rex, he could just be some bipedal monster that is dinosaur-like in appearance. He could have deadly claws and teeth that cut into metal and he could even should laser blasts out of his mouth. Not only that, he would be able to run and have agility. There is no reason for Grimlock to not have a t-rex or t-rex like alt-mode.

 

Not even close. The movie designs can withstand a ton in battle because they are alien robots and not really earth vehicles. That's a separate issue.

 

What I'm saying is that when you remove the alien robot aspect, the alt. modes in the movie all still serve a function. Speed, or flight, or firepower. They all serve to disguise, even a tiny boom box like Frenzy.

 

The problem is a dinosaur mode doesn't offer anything when the alien robot aspect is taken away (except maybe flight from a Pterodactyl type mode, but even then, why not just be a jet which is faster and packing missles?).

 

Teeth and claws that cut into metal, lasers shot out of the mouth, that's all because of the alien robot, not anything the dinosaur itself adds to the party.

 

What if they decided that instead of bringing for the sequel Dinobots vs. Constructicons, how about Dinobots vs. Predacons? Would you also be opposed to the Predacons having animal modes?

 

Well how's about if you cross the dinos with military vehicles? Grim with a treaded rear cannon truck, Slag, and Snarl with tanks, Sludge with an amphibious attack vehicle, and Swoop with a jet maybe an F14 letting his wings swoop back for even more flight speed. Same could work with the Predacons if they chose to go that route for the Decepts new recruits.

What if they decided that instead of bringing for the sequel Dinobots vs. Constructicons, how about Dinobots vs. Predacons? Would you also be opposed to the Predacons having animal modes?

 

Well, if the animal modes were organic, at least it would offer them some form of disguise, which is already better than dino modes. But there'd have to be a damn good reason for Headstrong to scan a rhino over, say, a safari truck.

 

Well how's about if you cross the dinos with military vehicles? Grim with a treaded rear cannon truck, Slag, and Snarl with tanks, Sludge with an amphibious attack vehicle, and Swoop with a jet maybe an F14 letting his wings swoop back for even more flight speed. Same could work with the Predacons if they chose to go that route for the Decepts new recruits.

 

You're getting dangerously close to what I suggested on page one of this thread:

 

I vote for Earth vehicles with strange, dinosaur or dragon-esque robot modes...Sam could very easily label them "Dinobots" in that case.

 

But if you're still talking humanoid robot modes with dino alt. modes, well, where did they find half dino/half military vehicles to scan? Would they build them from scratch? Or did they scan dino modes, then outfit them with guns later? Why in the world would they take the time to do that over just scanning military vehicles?

 

Which is why I say ditch the humanoid mode completely. The Decepticon robot designs in this film border on monstrous enough already that I think introducing a character like Grimlock who has a robot mode that naturally looks like a giant lizard thing (he's a reformed Decepticon, maybe?) would fit totally within the world the movie's created, and that character scanning an Earth vehicle works tons better from a story logic point than does a character scanning a dino mode.

Mmm....

 

I still don't see what wrong with robotic dinosaur and following the idea earlier of them landing near a museum, scanning the dinosarus, and then for some of the movie until the Autobots finding them, their appearance are seen by the audience, but the Autobots find out via Sam's in the grocery store checkout and sees something in one of those tabeloids about robotic dinosaurs in a construction site or something in his hometown.

 

Now maybe the whole last minute arrival at the big battle is a little cliche, but there are ways. I only want a few things from my Dinobots:

Dinosaur based alternate modes

Grimlock has an utter disrespect for Prime and has stunted speech

The other four have normal speech

None of them are dumb like in the cartoon

 

the problem with building them like some have suggested,

is that the Allspark is destroyed when Sam thrusts it into Megatron's chest

, thus eliminating any possible truly Earth-native Transformers, which is why

at the end of the movie, Prime sends out a message to any remaining Autobots out there in space that their new home is Earth and that he and those who are with him (Ratchet/Ironhide/Bumblebee) are waiting.

 

You want them to find the Dinobots from a tabloid in a grocery store? Are you kidding me?

 

Look, like you said,

Prime sent out a message. He probably contained within that message what's going on down on Earth, including such vital information like the dominant life form and the machine modes they've taken on to hide. If that info isn't in there, Prime plays like an idiot. And if it is in there

then there's no reason (unless the Dinobots are played as dumb as dirt, which you don't want and neither do I) at all for them to scan extinct animal modes and go walking around with nothing to do long enough for them to end up in a tabloid.

 

And landing near a museum does not make scanning dino modes a good idea. What museum is this that there's not a single car around anywhere for them to scan? Even in the middle of the night, there's gonna be something else to scan besides museum exhibits. And do they land outside and walk in to the museum to find something to scan? Do they crash into the museum and somehow the dino skeletons remain standing and intact despite the destruction to the museum? Are there dinosaur statues outside the museum that they scan? And, if so, wouldn't scanning it make them into statues? Unless they scan the skeleton, they'll have no idea where the joints are located in the animal, but if they only scan a skeleton, then...GAH!

 

The whole idea is just full of problems.

Maybe someone posted this already, I didn't read everything, but do the Dinobots really need to scan anything? The Transformers aren't hidden anymore in the sequel, so the realistic disguise seems redundant. So why not use an usefull alt mode? Grimlock becoming a T rex dead on is stupid, but maybe something in the vein of the cybertron Rumbles? Like walking tanks and stuff like that. And Autobot military group that kept their cybertronian alt modes?

 

Fanboy out!

I agree with Hobbes (as usual) this whole need/scenario of having the dinobots actually BE dinosaurs is ridiculous. I could see the reptillion bot mode with a military alt mode, that would satisfy those that need a lizardy grimlock, but even that's just more fanwankery. I haven't seen the movie, but I have a good bit of faith in the movie producers and director judging by the previews. If they can find a way, a TRUE way to make it work then great, but If this series Jumps the shark on the second movie to satisfy a bunch of nostalgia filled gheybos, I'll be severely pissed.

 

Maybe someone posted this already, I didn't read everything, but do the Dinobots really need to scan anything? The Transformers aren't hidden anymore in the sequel, so the realistic disguise seems redundant. So why not use an usefull alt mode? Grimlock becoming a T rex dead on is stupid, but maybe something in the vein of the cybertron Rumbles? Like walking tanks and stuff like that. And Autobot military group that kept their cybertronian alt modes?

 

Fanboy out!

 

They are still quite hidden after the events of the movie

 

I agree with Hobbes (as usual) this whole need/scenario of having the dinobots actually BE dinosaurs is ridiculous. I could see the reptillion bot mode with a military alt mode, that would satisfy those that need a lizardy grimlock, but even that's just more fanwankery. I haven't seen the movie, but I have a good bit of faith in the movie producers and director judging by the previews. If they can find a way, a TRUE way to make it work then great, but If this series Jumps the shark on the second movie to satisfy a bunch of nostalgia filled gheybos, I'll be severely pissed.

 

Maybe someone posted this already, I didn't read everything, but do the Dinobots really need to scan anything? The Transformers aren't hidden anymore in the sequel, so the realistic disguise seems redundant. So why not use an usefull alt mode? Grimlock becoming a T rex dead on is stupid, but maybe something in the vein of the cybertron Rumbles? Like walking tanks and stuff like that. And Autobot military group that kept their cybertronian alt modes?

 

Fanboy out!

 

They are still quite hidden after the events of the movie

 

 

Rosswelled? Don't answer that- It might spoil stuff. Anyways, it could still fly if they'd be like transmetals. Adjusted alt modes for advantages on various terrains as well as staying hidden.