What's in a name?

[Toph]

Inspired by a convo between phil and I in another thread (can move it here, if you like), what preferences do you have in a name?

What is a good name, and what do you wish to never see again?

I always thought Bumblebee was once a cute name. A small, unassuming autobot who transformed into a yellow vw beetle.
it's kinda lost all meaning now, though. Neither fits aligned or movie's personality, nor does it fit his alt mode AT ALL.

[Philip Ayres]

I think a name should be used where appropriate.

For example an orange crane isn't Smokescreen (Armada). That name has obvious connections to other styled characters and colour schemes. Make sure your name is not shouting something else. Armada Wheeljack is another good example. All the 84/5 car names have strong connotations to TF fans and say things.

But if something looks like a particular thing then, Trademark issues aside, use that name. Energon Downshift I'm looking at you. And you, the first released version of Powerlinx Thrust.

Universe Spychanger Prowl & Deluxe Inferno are a VERY good example of both: their names are shouting one thing, the design and paint are shouting another!

Sometimes a mould suggests being repainted in a certain colour. And that in turn suggests a name. It astonishes me that there's never been a Beast Wars Bumblebee from Waspinator. Or that TM Waspinator has never been redone as BW Starscream

[Philip Ayres]

I don't disagree with you at all about Bumblebee but I think he is a bit of a special case because along the way he has absorbed a lot of Hot Rod, not helped by the confusing of the two during the Unicron Trilogy years by using Hot Shot.

Hot Rod assumes the non leader hero role in the Movie that Bumblebee has and effectively is a more energetic but juvenile version of Bumblebee, who then rises to be Autobot Leader. This is really obvious in Armada where Hot Shot goes from being the main non leader hero in yellow to a Autobot Leader who isn't Prime in red with flames. From that point on Bumblebees went from being VW Beetles small cars to US Muscle Cars, masinly in the Movie and the Prime series. There are some exceptions, mostly CHUG, but even there we've been given a muscle car BB which I've said many times would work better as Hot Rod.

So Bumblebee for us older fans means one thing but for the younger ones means something different..... and the something different it means has an identifiable other name to us older fans.

[Philip Ayres]

Beast Wars Magnaboss makes for quite an interesting study of names....

Ironhide is good. Thick skin, red robot parts you can't really complain. I always thought a black hide and red robot parts Rhinox would make a good Ironhide, but there again Rhinox is, as a starting point, a crossbreed between Ironhide and Wheeljack. As an aside: Ironhide: surely the name itself insinuates black rather than red? I don't think the movie got many design choice right but the colour of Ironhide was one of them, though maybe some red highlights wouldn't have gone amiss.

Silverbolt was good. When it comes to flying Autobots it's either Jetfire or Silverbolt. The BW bird of prey has no jets and combines Silverbolt is a logical choice. The problems come later when a different Silverbolt becomes a recognisable BW character.

The real fail here is Prowl. Lions Prowl, I get it. But there's nothing in the toy that screams Prowl. TM2 Prowl is a better play on words for the name and has some design ques from the original Prowl. Meanwhile the Magnaboss Prowl, when you look at the head, you can't help but see it's an Optimus toy.

Elsewhere in Beast Wars Inferno is an interesting name reuse because it's one of the better name reinventions. He's red and he's a fire ant so you're automatically disposed to the name being used on a Predacon/Decepticon even though it screams Autobot Fire Engine.The memorable portrayal didn't hurt either.

[Philip Ayres]

Still trying to think of some more examples!

[Toph]

I really struck something for you, lol.
I got sick like, almost immidiately after I made this thread and haven't been able to concentrate on any real thoughts myself. Will probably be back with some more.

That said, I would KILL for a beast era spinosaur named Snapdragon.

Also feel Rattrap is a brilliant name for Rattrap. Probably the best named beast era guy.