So I'm pretty much out of the fandom at this point

[Sades]

No interest left. But you're still stuck with me, bitches.

Or not, whatever.

So it's like really quiet here. All the topics are kinda... um, lists. More or less. Are people dying? Because that'd be kind of sad, people just dying and no one here would know.

I'll be sure to let you all know when I go. Kay?

** edit: except for all things small, cute and/or odd (ie: Botbots). I like anomalies.

[Warcry]

I am kinda curious how many of us actually like Transformers anymore, and how many of us just come here to keep tabs on the people we've known since forever. I still collect the toys but I don't follow the franchise anywhere as closely as I used to. The Bumblebee movie was the last time I watched or read anything new and I can't remember the last time before that.

So it's like really quiet here. All the topics are kinda... um, lists. More or less. Are people dying? Because that'd be kind of sad, people just dying and no one here would know.

I've had morbid thoughts like this too from time to time. I've lost track of so many online friends and acquaintances from places like this over the years, it's hard not to wonder what happened to them all.

[Denyer]

I am surrounded by shelves of them, but pretty much talked out TFs as a subject (war/history/etc) years ago. Not really any new media of interest, enjoyed conventions for a few years but it's not as strong an interest, etc. Other hobbies have come to the forefront.

Work/life happens. Still keeping a light on in case people want to wander back in.

[inflatable dalek]

My plan is to win the death pool by outliving you all and them collecting all the TFArchive money.

[StoneCold Skywarp]

My plan is to win the death pool by outliving you all and them collecting all the TFArchive money.

I still function...

[Clay]

Don't much follow tfs media-wise these days, but I still collect/am fascinated by the figures. I still come here because of the people that a) I've known since forever and b) can post coherent thoughts.

[Sades]

My plan is to win the death pool by outliving you all and them collecting all the TFArchive money.

I still function...

But your liver doesn't. Wahey!

[StoneCold Skywarp]

My plan is to win the death pool by outliving you all and them collecting all the TFArchive money.

I still function...

But your liver doesn't. Wahey!

The first cut is the deepest

[Skyquake87]

I'm still alive, and enjoy popping around here. It's still the most sane online Transformers forum for me and I like everyone who posts here (I don't mind if you don't like me :P ). It is pretty quiet these days, which does make me a bit sad, but like Denyer says, I do feel Transformers is a bit talked out for me these days. I still enjoy the hobby, but keep trying to convince myself 'this will be the year I stop buying the things'. As the costs go up and the products feel cheaper -whether it's by honeycombing the things to the point you wonder whether there's actually any plastic there or by churning out glorified cracker toys - it's difficult to muster the same enthusiasm.

But then I found some old stuff that reminds me what fun Transformers are! Some of the toys I've enjoyed the most over the last year have been unloved Universe lumps like Countdown. They're solid, fun and chunky. Like really good soup.

The comics are a foreign country to me these days. I loved More Than Meets The Eye / Lost Light and was sad to see that go for an enforced even newer direction. Although I don't know how sustainable tales of genderless robots having proper emotional relationships in space was ever going to be when the source material is something most people associate with childhood playtimes. Just look how excited folk get about teaching same sex education in primary schools. I can only imagine what Hasbro pointyheads were thinking with that out there representing the brand. I'm probably doing them a massive disservice, but it's hard not to view these things through the uncaring lens of capitalism. 'We like what you're doing, but the franchise is about war and fighting and shooting the ground and shifting units. Not feelings and romance.' I'm currently getting my TF comics fix through the cheaply produced and always having problems Hachette part-work, which should feel more fun than the endurance test Hachette turn it into with their production gaffs.

Wow. That turned out to be a longer post than expected.

[Sades]

I really only come back for the latest list of things people have bought. That's the real content right there.

The first cut is the deepest

But, but that's far from the first cut. I've been making cuts since I got here. It's what I do, I cut. I don't know how to not cut.

At least it's more an annoying thing like a papercut?

(I don't mind if you don't like me :P )

I dunno if liking has anything to do with things half the time, from my experience everyone is judgy as ****, everywhere at some point in their lives. If they can't be civil then **** 'em.

It sometimes bothers me that half the time I'm talking to myself. But, I get it. TFs are def talked out for me. But I'm a fucking weirdo and I don't think I have a whole lot in common with most people otherwise. It is nice however when I discover something that isn't completely out of line with what other people are interested in.

[Skyquake87]

Heh. I get that. A lot of the stuff I like no one else has much of a clue about, which is fine. It's kind of nice having something that's just something I'm into, but it is nice to hang out with you folks on here

[inflatable dalek]

The comics are a foreign country to me these days. I loved More Than Meets The Eye / Lost Light and was sad to see that go for an enforced even newer direction. Although I don't know how sustainable tales of genderless robots having proper emotional relationships in space was ever going to be when the source material is something most people associate with childhood playtimes. Just look how excited folk get about teaching same sex education in primary schools. I can only imagine what Hasbro pointyheads were thinking with that out there representing the brand. I'm probably doing them a massive disservice, but it's hard not to view these things through the uncaring lens of capitalism. 'We like what you're doing, but the franchise is about war and fighting and shooting the ground and shifting units. Not feelings and romance.' I'm currently getting my TF comics fix through the cheaply produced and always having problems Hachette part-work, which should feel more fun than the endurance test Hachette turn it into with their production gaffs.

Wow. That turned out to be a longer post than expected.

If it makes you feel better, someone I know was told by someone directly involved in the comic (I'll let you guess who) that More Than Meets the Eye was, when digital was taken into account, selling considerably better than any of the other books at its peak. More than we'd have guessed.

And according to Orbital Comics worker Jim Wilson (I can say this as he's publicly tweeted about this), sales across the board fell in their store as Hasbroverse stuff was introduced and tanked more every time there was another 80's property no one actually cares about was brought in.

So, feelings good, Rom bad.

The fact the diversity and relationships have been kept with the reboot, suggests that's something Hasbro aren't too bothered about either. Least as long as the get their %.

As for this place, sadly younger fans just don't trust or like forums, however lovely this particular one is. Twitter has issues (as seen with the ongoing mass harassment of women who've said they don't like that "Please stick your dick up my ass" Windblade model kit), but you can control what you do and don't interact with a lot more and overall it's probably less intimidating than, say, TFW2005.

[Strela_999]

Well, it's easy for me, I always was out of the fandom as I was the only Transformers fan in my provincial city the local hobby/geek shop had some figures every now and then, but I'm the only one who was buying them, other shoppers concentrated on fantasy, anime or superhero stuff.
But since then, they stopped selling Transformers merch and concentrated on tabletop games such as WH40K, and I started buying online; which is both a blessing and a curse, because on one hand, you can get EVERYTHING delivered to your doorstep, but on the other hand, when you've been working for 48 hours on a market analysis of these houses in Athens or something similar, it's easy to overspend on merch as a way to "have fun" in the middle of a short pause

Still, I'm glad I've found this forum, as I've finally got someone to talk to. I just hope that I won't shock anyone when talking about the movies, because I didn't have any hardcore fan to discuss them and I don't know which ones are respected and which ones are hated in the community...

[inflatable dalek]

I respect all the films.

[Denyer]

Twitter has issues (as seen with the ongoing mass harassment of women who've said they don't like that "Please stick your dick up my ass" Windblade model kit), but you can control what you do and don't interact with a lot more

Than with forum software? Is any of this stuff actually implemented yet?

https://slate.com/technology/2019/11/tw ... tures.html

AFAICT, Twitter's still a shithole leveraging the pile-on effect of ~300 million users in the same box for ad views.

[Denyer]

I just hope that I won't shock anyone when talking about the movies, because I didn't have any hardcore fan to discuss them and I don't know which ones are respected and which ones are hated in the community...

I think most people are more-or-less indifferent due to the general positive effect on raising brand awareness (the 2007 buzz was massive) but declining ratings and quality. Maybe the Bumblebee one will have turned things around a bit.

At least TFs are cheaper than 40K as a hobby... I'm sort of following the GW fluff these days, and enjoying some of the non-miniatures tat they've licensed, but it does feel awfully calculated and soulless in terms of marketing.

[StoneCold Skywarp]

In the interest of curiosity being certainly lethal to felines; would people still here be interested in trying to raise TF Archive from the ashes? Or is it generally accepted that the amount of dust laying on this place now really defines it properly as an Archive and should be left as such?

Asking for a friend.

[Clay]

In the interest of curiosity being certainly lethal to felines; would people still here be interested in trying to raise TF Archive from the ashes? Or is it generally accepted that the amount of dust laying on this place now really defines it properly as an Archive and should be left as such?

Asking for a friend.

I think it'd be neat to have a big forum site filled with smart discussion, but I'm also cautiously aware of how much energy that would take to cultivate.

[StoneCold Skywarp]

I think it'd be neat to have a big forum site filled with smart discussion, but I'm also cautiously aware of how much energy that would take to cultivate.

It's been done before.

[Unicron]

In the interest of curiosity being certainly lethal to felines; would people still here be interested in trying to raise TF Archive from the ashes? Or is it generally accepted that the amount of dust laying on this place now really defines it properly as an Archive and should be left as such?

Asking for a friend.

Think I'd be cool with either