#functionalist

[designobjectory]

"Svitjod" cabinet by Göran Malmvall for Karl Andersson & Söner, Huskvarna, late 20th century

Birch and Karelian birch (Masur birch, or birch burlwood) veneered. Straight silhouette with two glazed doors at top with shelves behind them, with four drawers underneath and another pair of double doors concealing more shelves at bottom.

[raileurta]

I wonder if transformers ever yern for humans to be in their Earth alt modes. The vehicles are quite literally designed for humans to ride in. I want to put it in better words.

But just it must feel nice right? Their alt modes are essentially part of who they are. Human vehicles are not alive no soul just pure purpose. They are meant to be driven and take people places, nothing less nothing more. Yes of course there's nuance and different purposes for more specialized vehicles but still. When a Cybertronian takes over that form of pure technological purpose do they crave the simple satisfaction of doing what the vehicle was meant to? It could be very relaxing for a bot just to shut off their brain and let their human drive them. To feel the weight of the human in the driver's seat, the belt strapped against their beating chest, the gentle hands that guide the controls, the thing you love and want to protect safely nested inside of you.

Just the simple joy of it.

[random-cockroach]

I SO F*CKING MUCH LOVE THAT FUNCTIONALISTS HAVE ONE OPTIC AND WHEN YOU TURN INTO DEMON IF THEY HAVE THE LOOK LIKE AFTER EMPURATA THEY ALSO HAVE 1 OPTIC. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE, YOU CAN LITERALLY PUT FUNCTIONALISTS ON ONE LINE WITH DEMONS

[spacemothsota]

Cybertron Cybersphere

You know, we don't know much about the era of Cybertron when the tribes ruled, as well as about the worldbilding back then. We know about this period very vaguely, foggily, it seems like some bots should have been around during those times, but they don't really talk about them (we only have five really old mechs: Nova Prime, Cyclonus, Jhiaxus, Galvatron, and Dai Atlas ), not to mention the Thirteen, damn it, guys pulled Cybertron out of barbarian times, maybe you could throw in some info about what was before you? It's just that this time can't be nothing and emptiness, you know? Alpha Trion, am I looking at you? You were supposed to keep history like no? Okay, tribes, okay, but what about the world outside of this? A small conclusion I can make is that Cybertron was a pretty deserted place back then, but not devoid of life. I like to speculate a lot and although the organic approach doesn't really fit with metallic life forms, why not speculate a little on the topic.

Sometimes I think that in reality, before the industrialization we see in the comics and the unification of tribes in the past, Cybertron had a very unique biosphere (cybersphere? mechasphere? I don't know). My idea is based on such small things as the existence of acid rain, dust storms, "sorrow flowers". (I wanted to include crystals and Praxus gardens, but I couldn't find canon information about it).

Just imagine what kind of crystalline or metallic "plant" structures this world could have. It could be something familiar to us, like flowers and trees, or something completely unusual for people. Flowers made of crystals or metals useful for the developing culture of Cybertron. We know that there are flowers of sorrow that form from the remains of Cybertronian sparks, but imagine more complex cyber vegetation. Trees, flowers, bushes, vines, etc. Deserts, steppes… And although trees, for example, do not make much sense within the framework of Cybertron as a source of oxygen, like our Earth, could they have a structure with fruits full of energon? (Why not, that would be interesting). As for the "climate" zones, they generally would not exist, but given that Cybertron is Primus, it should also have zones with uneven heating, for example. Simply put, some zones may be warmer than others, but there are no sharp temperature drops on Cybertron. (I'm not a big fan of thinking that Cybertron is cold, maybe during the war it was like that because Primus almost kicked the bucket there. So probably during the war Cybertron was cold and a bit lifeless. Yes, my whole idea is based on the fact that Primus, a damn living giant and essentially the differences on the surface would be just what is needed to support his creations and himself. You know… As a single well-coordinated organism).

Incidentally, this would explain acid rain and dust storms, which would be the result of the disruption of the cybersphere and growing industrialization.

Because we don't know much about Cybertronian animals, sometimes I guess that Cybertronians were part of this system too (we know that there are turbofox, but if there are them, then we can speculate more about it). Each would occupy its natural "ecological" niche to maintain an equal balance for the work of Cybertron. From seekers in the sky like birds, to motorcycles (in my imagination they would look like cheetahs) or insecticons (in my imagination they are something like orderlies and protectors of the depths of Cybertron). Of course, with the development of Cybertronians, this faded into the background, industrialization absorbed the nature of Cybertron, leaving only a part in the wild areas. This would actually give unique interaction patterns for Cybertronians, between the bots' relationships with different altforms due to their past niche placement (Functionalists can go to hell, because their system is extremely industrial and denied the need for any given frame to exist for the well-being of their world. Thanks, no one likes extinction). It would also give more ideas for behavioral traits and cultures of different frames (thanks to the bird-like Seekers, I love them). I don't really have a precise diagram of what type of bot would do what in the "ecosystem", so I'll leave that up to you! Just remember that they are sentient and not animals, but Primus still needs them all to live a peaceful life.

In general, I have another idea related to this, concerning the Titans. In my opinion, the Titans are something like megafauna? These guys have such a large size and strength due to the fact that Cybertron does not have the same level of gravity as on Earth, they probably do not experience the feeling of being “heavy” (the same with other large bots like shuttles, etc.). Since their function is to preserve, distribute and found colonies, in essence, they would probably prefer “ecologically” clean places for their rest and the formation of settlements. Just imagine how the ancient Cybertronians see how Titan has calmly settled in a good place to rest and are like “Oh, since he settled there, this is a great place for prosperity and the founding of a settlement! Thanks a lot bro, we will take care of your comfortable rest! And the cybersphere will also flourish here. Primus will be happy”

Giaent cat found nice plase for rest

In short, the cycle of life and well-being, where everyone is needed. (I like the idea that everyone is connected to each other, it would solve all the problems with belittling and the system of damn functionalism.)

To hell with Functionalism and their caste system, that stuff doesn't work.

[holographic-mars]

Rereading IDW and how Ravage and Co. found Soundwave and it’s lowkey really funny to me, she really just picked him up off the streets huh

[communistkenobi]

it’s really funny reading on the state by bourdieu because he’s clearly driving himself insane trying to figure out what the state is but he doesn’t want to concede to the Marxist conception of the state so he’s just left to torture himself forever

[generic-sonic-fan]

Prompt: omega vs the ship of Theseus problem. If every single one of his parts got replaced, is he still himself? Would love to hear your take!

I'm personally of the opinion that as long as Omega's software is intact, it's still "him". No amount of individual part replacing can change that. You could suck him out of his body and attach his processor to a potato battery and I'd still call it him. I would even argue, in a universe with vague emerald-related magic fuckery and the sort-of maybe implied existence of souls, you'd be able to take Omega's soul out of any sort of mechanical contraption and it'd still be him, as long as his experience of consciousness isn't damaged or interrupted.

Omega himself, however, would have a much stronger definition of the matter. He doesn't tolerate much modification to his design, with the sole exception of weapon upgrades- and of those, he always ensures that they fit into his original silhouette. I think losing his "original" body would bother him a lot, certainly more than he would ever let on. And if he was forced to downgrade his destructive capability in the change, he'd question if he's still the same person now that he's less capable of achieving his goals.

[pixel-star]

[blighted-lights]

this ravage design will always be soooo famous to me. unbeatable design, truly. still feline but not as easily recognizable as being feline as his later designs. love himbs

[ravagedacat]

Title: The Last Praxian

Another Transformers Fic Idea (I still don’t know what I’m doing)

Okay, so this one is centered around Bluestreak. In this au, he is the last Praxian (no Prowl, no Smokescreen, not even Barricade, no one). Megatron bombed Praxus and he was the only one left (Blue’s a youngling during this). Autobots “rescue” him. However, they are still under Sentinel’s Functionalist regime. During his medical exam, they find out he’s an outlier (aka second class citizen, aka a weapon). Sentinel hands Bluestreak over to his Spec Ops commander to train to be an assassin.

Treated more as a tool than a person, Bluestreak isn’t the sweetheart we all know and love. He’s cynical and reserved; a bottle shook too many times and is just waiting to explode. The only reason he hasn’t left the Autobots is because they share a common goal: destroy the Decepticons. Blue blames them (especially the Seekers, who were the primary attackers on Praxus) for his miserable upbringing and for making him the last Praxian. He is merciless when killing (mostly at long range but any weapon Blue got a hold of he became a master at).

However, Sentinel was always going to fall. Optimus reign starts along with his “til all are won” schtick. Any Sentinel worshippers are done away with, including the Spec Ops commander who is replaced with none other than Jazz.

Blue doesn’t really care about the Autobots being under new management (secretly gleeful that Sentinel and his old tormentors are done for). However, he starts to care when a very visible leash is put on him. His savage killing spree is no longer tolerated. Optimus would prefer no more sparks were lost to this war but knows that’s not realistic. Even with this insight, it still weighs heavy on the Prime when calling the shots, and usually shifts that onto Jazz.

In another universe, Jazz would be Prowl’s mate and Bluestreak’s co-creator. In this one, however, he was not there to help Bluestreak through his trauma and raise him to be the chatterbox sniper he’s known to be. This Jazz sees the weapon that Blue is and is weary of what he’ll do. He recognizes that Blue is about to blow and tries his best. He gives Bluestreak the hard missions he craves but makes sure to keep a firm grip on Blue’s leash. Looking back on it, Jazz has many regrets on how he handled the mech raised as a child soldiers and what his actions led to Blue choosing the path he did.

Bluestreak can’t stand the way he’s treated under Optimus’ reign. Although he has more freedom on base (he can now roam the halls instead of being locked up in his cell/quarters), he no longer is killing Seekers/ Decepticons at the rate he wants to. He gets into fights with his fellow Autobots, especially Jazz (Blue doesn’t care that he’s SIC and Spec Ops leader. Actually, he hoped he could get Jazz to smelt him down. It’d be better than die of boredom).

In the end, Bluestreak strikes out on his own (and leaves a trail of bodies behind, making Jazz a true enemy). He focuses on snuffing Decepticons, making up the time he lost serving under Optimus. It didn’t matter who or what got in his way of a target, energon was spilled. He butted and severed Autobots along the way. Blue was the ultimate killer, never killing someone the same way twice (unless they were twins, because he found it humorous).

Eventually, he made an agreement with Jazz (both very reluctant) since they kept getting in each other’s way. Although Bluestreak never wore the Autobot badge again, he worked alongside them occasionally. With their resources, Blue was able to reach his end goal.

Seekers went extinct (except Starscream, but his fate deserves its own post); Bluestreak became known as the Seeker Slayer. Except his thirst for spilled energon was not satisfied. He started hunting Deception flight frames. When that wasn’t enough, he just targeted anyone who wore the purple badge. Hatred and a broken spark was all was left in Bluestreak. True happiness was struck down with his fellow Praxians.

Fast forward to the war’s end, both Optimus and Megatron agreed that Bluestreak couldn’t be left unattended. With Jazz’s imput, it was decided that Bluestreak would only find peace in deactivation (cue more guilt being piled onto OP’s pure spark). Both Autobots and Decepticons hunted Blue down. However the deranged Praxian knew this was coming (he was insane, not dumb). He led a marry chase and trails of bodies into the wilds of Cybertron where Jazz finally struck him down.

The blow didn’t kill Bluestreak, only paralyzed him. However, he had gain various wounds and there was no medic willing to work on the Praxian. Jazz pushed him into a cavern to make sure there was no chance of Blue getting aid and left him to bleed out.

On his last stellar cycle, all Bluestreak could do was think. He thought of his regrets, his successes, and the what ifs. He felt anger, rage, frustration, sorrow, grief, fear, relief, and even some joy throughout it all. In his final moments, acceptance sets in and Bluestreak rejoins the Allspark…

…

or does he?

[kittyprincess756]

I have such a cool megastar divorce concept for my au waowm....

[rayofmisfortune]

All these goddamn empurata aus are killing me inside. Taking my feeble little heart and TWISTING it till the last drops of agony are wrenched out

[bienamados]

befriending people who analyze media the same way you do is like winning the lottery finally i can talk about cybertronian politics and social structures without seeming insane

[tonikkyn]

It looks like I'm going to have to make up for some time and make a lot of memes to compensate for my absence

[smile-files]

me, after taking a sociology class, looking at the disproportionate hatred people have for furries: this is all structural functionalism's fault

[singingcicadas]

This scene where Rewind shoots Megatron in the time-traveling arc. I don't understand his logic.

The shooting Megatron part I can get behind. If the price for avoiding 4 million years of war and everything that came with it is wiping the current timeline out of existence, then so be it; it's a defensible argument on both sides, and Rewind picked the one he's on. But his reasoning's ridiculous? "Killing Megatron's dooming the Cybertronians but saving the universe." He thinks that having Megatron start the war is better for Cybertronians than letting the Functionist council take over. wtf why, he's lived through both universes! He's seen what the war did and what they got out of the end of it. In what way could he possibly think that 4 million years of this,

quoting his own history lesson, is more preferable to the functionalists for Cybertron? The planet's trashed, their race is nearly extinct, Starscream's in charge and everyone's still miserable.

From what we got in the functionalist timeline flashbacks yeah the functionalists were awful. They were genociding people based on alts and forcibly recycling people into new bodies. But Megatron also did pretty much the same thing? Except instead of genociding based on alts he just went and killed half the population. The functionalists had cameras installed in people's optics for spying but Megatron had Soundwave do omnipresent surveillence with his mindreading. The functionalists were legitimizing everything they do as the Will of God and anyone who disputed that should die, but Megatron did one better and skipped straight to the Will of Megatron. he didn't even need the god part. There's no freedom, no choice, no equality in Functionalist Cybertron. well guess what there's none of that under Megatron either. The functionalists killed lots of people. Well Megatron killed more! In terms of absolute control, the Functionalists' version of Cybertron was nearly the same as Megatron's vision of the ideal future, the only difference being that he was stopped before he was able to get to that point.

When it comes down to the lesser of two evils shouldn't it be obvious that the Functionalists are better for Cybertron's future, at least comparatively? The planet and infrastructure are all intact. The population's still full. Yes the people are living in constant fear and misery but at least they'll still have a life, which is more than what most can say once the war starts. No matter how many people died under the Functionalists it's never going to compare to the amount of people who died in the war.

And Rewind's well aware of all this; he's well aware that Megatron's a mass murderer but somehow only cares when he's murdering other species? I can't remember anything before this issue that indicates he cares that much about other species. What do you mean Rodimus you can't argue with that, weren't you the one who made your opposition against staying on earth to protect humans so vociferously clear to the point that it caused your faction to fall to pieces? The value implications behind the whole thing is so strange. Unless Rewind is an admant believer of the "better to die standing up than live kneeling down" mindset and wants it forcibly imposed on everyone on the grounds of "anyone who doesn't want that doesn't deserve to live", then I really don't see how he would think that Megatron, and by extension the war, would be a better outcome for Cybertron than the functionalists.