Concepts and Character arcs to fold into a rebooted G1.
- Thread starter KingSwoop
- Start date
The thing about colonies is space is BIG.
You could literally drop a hundred colonies throughout the galaxy and never, ever have them interact and it wouldn't be outlandish.
And that's not even getting into intergalactic travel.
Anywho, my ideal 12 colonies (Each founded by a "Forge Titan" and associated with one of the "13" (Really associated with one of the 13 cybertronian forges which became places of worship for the various religions, each forge being housed within a Forge Titan that was later turned into a colony ship). Combined with the cyber planet keys (merging the concept with the key to vector sigma's ability to cyberform planets) and you have everything needed to make new colonies.
Antilla - Prima (Failed colony, cybertronian supremicists tried to invade an inhabited world and in the organics dying breath, they created and unleashed the cosmic rust)
Velocitron - Vector Prime (their obsession with speed originates from their worship of the time. Originally the idea was that time was precious so the faster you go, the more time you have for things, but it eventually devolves into an obsession with racing and competition)
Cybertron - Alpha Trion (Not an actual colony. Vector Sigma would remain on Cybertron becoming the last forge on the planet)
Caminus - Solus Prime
Zone - Micronus Prime (Zone is actually a star system, which contains two shared colonies: the planet Micro, inhabited by mini-cons and then the moon Gigantion, inhabited by extremely large transformers who enjoy the lower gravity)
Paradron - Alchemist Prime (Neutral planet, much like Macaddams)
Dominus - Nexus Prime (Another failed colony, harsh conditions lead to the development of transtector technology, like in headmasters, but eventually in modern times they had to evacuate to the nearest inhabitable planet: Nebulos, where the transtector technology was inverted to create Headmasters by the Hive and later adapted by the rebels)
Eukaris - Onyx Prime (Also known as Animatron or Biosfera)
Aquatron: Amalgamous Prime (Strong belief in adapatation lead these colonists to becoming aquatic)
Quintessa - Quintus Prime (Though I'd probably make that Quintessa Prime just to have more ladies in the 13). This is another failed colony, with the natives, later calling themselves Quintessons, killing the colonists (aside from a few survivors like Wheelie) and using their tech to create their sharkticon slaves
The Hub - Liege Maximo
Charr - Megatronus. Only happens After recovering the Nemesis from Earth and reuniting it with the Reqeium Blaster (Which is discovered to be able to create life as easily as it takes it)
Earth - The Arisen (i.e. whatever shlub normy is holding the Matrix). Accidently happens when the Ark (used as the Autobots escape vessel from a dying cybertron) is connected to the Matrix, activating the forge within the Ark and making Earth into technically a new colony.
You could literally drop a hundred colonies throughout the galaxy and never, ever have them interact and it wouldn't be outlandish.
And that's not even getting into intergalactic travel.
Anywho, my ideal 12 colonies (Each founded by a "Forge Titan" and associated with one of the "13" (Really associated with one of the 13 cybertronian forges which became places of worship for the various religions, each forge being housed within a Forge Titan that was later turned into a colony ship). Combined with the cyber planet keys (merging the concept with the key to vector sigma's ability to cyberform planets) and you have everything needed to make new colonies.
Antilla - Prima (Failed colony, cybertronian supremicists tried to invade an inhabited world and in the organics dying breath, they created and unleashed the cosmic rust)
Velocitron - Vector Prime (their obsession with speed originates from their worship of the time. Originally the idea was that time was precious so the faster you go, the more time you have for things, but it eventually devolves into an obsession with racing and competition)
Cybertron - Alpha Trion (Not an actual colony. Vector Sigma would remain on Cybertron becoming the last forge on the planet)
Caminus - Solus Prime
Zone - Micronus Prime (Zone is actually a star system, which contains two shared colonies: the planet Micro, inhabited by mini-cons and then the moon Gigantion, inhabited by extremely large transformers who enjoy the lower gravity)
Paradron - Alchemist Prime (Neutral planet, much like Macaddams)
Dominus - Nexus Prime (Another failed colony, harsh conditions lead to the development of transtector technology, like in headmasters, but eventually in modern times they had to evacuate to the nearest inhabitable planet: Nebulos, where the transtector technology was inverted to create Headmasters by the Hive and later adapted by the rebels)
Eukaris - Onyx Prime (Also known as Animatron or Biosfera)
Aquatron: Amalgamous Prime (Strong belief in adapatation lead these colonists to becoming aquatic)
Quintessa - Quintus Prime (Though I'd probably make that Quintessa Prime just to have more ladies in the 13). This is another failed colony, with the natives, later calling themselves Quintessons, killing the colonists (aside from a few survivors like Wheelie) and using their tech to create their sharkticon slaves
The Hub - Liege Maximo
Charr - Megatronus. Only happens After recovering the Nemesis from Earth and reuniting it with the Reqeium Blaster (Which is discovered to be able to create life as easily as it takes it)
Earth - The Arisen (i.e. whatever shlub normy is holding the Matrix). Accidently happens when the Ark (used as the Autobots escape vessel from a dying cybertron) is connected to the Matrix, activating the forge within the Ark and making Earth into technically a new colony.
Against my better judgement... some ideas I've been toying with in my own head. If KingSwoop doesn't like them then nuts to him...
Start with a huge battle on Cybertron. Sentinel Prime and Megatron are fighting on an elevated platform akin to Optimus and Megs fighting on the damn.
I'd crib dialogue from their fight in Megatron: Origins because it's that damn good IMO.
Eventually Megs and Sentinel each fall through the structure they were fighting on and Megs kills Sentinel. He goes to rip the Matrix from his chest but ala TFO it disintegrates if claimed by the unworthy.
Megs is enraged. He wanted the Matrix and the power it represents but it's been lost just when he could claim it.
Megs emerges from the wreckage dragging Sentinel's corpse and tosses it into the battlefield. He proclaims he's slain "the last Prime" and willfully destroyed the Matrix to free Cybertron from superstition. The Autobots, shocked and demoralized, retreat and the Decepticons make a push to conquer the planet.
Orion Pax is a dockworker who was drawn to the Decepticon cause for social egalitarianism, against the wishes of his friends Ariel and Dion who think Megatron's been getting too violent to effect any positive change.
Orion doesn't heed their warnings though, and joins the Decepticons. Hell, maybe even have Orion be an old friend of Megatron. One's a miner, one's a dock worker... not inconceivable that they'd meet in organized labour circles early on.
Orion, though, has grown fully disillusioned with Megatron by now. Megs is openly slaughtering entire cities that don't just surrender to the Decepticons, he's torturing POWs, executing the innocent for mere suspicion of being Autobot sympathizers... he's had enough. He tosses his Decepticon badge off and tries to make contact with Ariel and Dion, his two old friends who he knows are safe behind Autobot lines.
Megatron gets wind that his friend had abandoned the cause and tries to chase him down, and he ends up mortally wounding Ariel and Orion, and killing Dion. I'd play it like Megs would try and talk Orion back/Dion and Ariel to his side, but when it doesn't look like they'll listen he loses it and in a fit of rage does the deed(s). Once Megatron realizes he's killed one of his friends and grievously wounded two others he steels himself. If they won't join him they'll perish like the rest of Cybertron who refuses to join him. He goes to kill them but Alpha Trion appears and forces Megs into a retreat. He then saves Ariel and Orion.
Orion is rebuilt into Optronix (thanks @Undead Scottsman!) and Ariel info Elita. Alpha Trion explains that he helps the Autobots when he can but he can only do so much. Still, he tries because he feels responsible.
Optronix asks why. Alpha Trion replies that his real name is Alpha Prime, one of the Thirteen, second oldest only to Prima. He's the only survivor and changed his name so his siblings' legacy could be remembered fully and that Cybetronian society could develop on its own without them looking to him.
He's watched Prima's Matrix get passed from Prime to Prime, but he put too much faith in it. He knew anyone who was accepted by the Matrix would have to be worthy and thought that was enough. Only too recently has he come to understand that to be worthy isn't enough, one has to prove themselves to be continuously worthy. Too many Primes... Guardian... Nova... Nominus... Sentinel... they may have been worthy once but they let that power lead to complacency and arrogance and now this war is the price.
Optronix says it doesn't matter, Megatron destroyed the Matrix, but Alpha Trion doesn't believe that. It can't be destroyed, it's an aspect of Primus himself.
If this war is to end a worthy Prime- one who will be an example of how Cybertron can better itself- will need to arise to oppose Megatron's seemingly unstoppable march. They need to find it first. Alpha Trion sends Optronix and Ariel to Vector Sigma, the supercomputer at Cyberyron's core. If the Matrix is anywhere it's there. He gives them the key to Vector Sigma.
Along the way they run into an Autobot strike team of Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz, Bumblebee, and Ratchet as the medic. Ironhide's ready to take them prisoner as he recognizes Optronix as Orion Pax, Megs' former friend and Decepticon, but Elita produces her Autobot badge and Optronix produces the Key to Vector Sigma.
Optronix says Megatron is on the wrong path but if they can find the Matrix and someone truly worthy to wield it then maybe, just maybe, this war can end.
The Autobot team takes Optronix and Elita in and they begin their quest deep into the core of Cybertron. Along the way they find organic rock and dirt packed in alongside metal and circuitry, suggesting an organic component to Cybertron but we don't linger on it.
Megatron, meanwhile, has found out about this quest. When Alpha Trion stopped him from offing Orion and Ariel he sent Laserbeak to keep tabs on them.
He's leading a team of Decepticons to intercept them. If the core is where the Matrix is then maybe he can still somehow get his hands on it.
As they get to the core they find the key doesn't seem to work, but before they can figure out what to do Megatron shows up with his backup. Optronix tries to reason with his friend, that his path has led to the destruction of Cybertron and that there's no just peace that can grow from his actions. Megatron seems to struggle with this but doubles down.
He angrily beats Optronix and goes to execute Elita, blaming her for "turning" his friend Orion against him but a brutally beaten Optronix takes the blast and seems to die.
Megatron is livid but before he can do anything else the key to Vector Sigma activates and the core glows. Everyone sees the Matrix emerge from the core and Megatron reaches out to take it. He thinks it'll be his but it zooms past him embedding itself in Optronix' prone body. The Matrix revitalizes and reformats him as Optimus Prime.
Optimus leads the Autobots to force Megatron into a retreat and he emerges on the surface. For the Autobots this is a miracle. They thought Megatron destroyed the Matrix. Optimus is able to display, via his ability to command Titans, that he's the real deal. The appearance of a new Prime tallies the Autobots who force the Decepticons into a stalemate.
Because this "Optimus Prime" seemed to appear out of nowhere for the vast majority of 'bots and 'cons alike a rumour begins to circulate that he's not just Sentinel's successor, but the fabled "Arisen," the last of the Thirteen.
This would be played with, with Optimus deeply uncomfortable with the idea but some hints that it might be true (thanks @Shadewing!)
That's the setup
I'd establish that after continuous fighting in this stalemate status quo Cybertron and its colonies begin to run low on energy. Yeah, the colonies are a thing and fully involved in the War. Caminus, for example, is Autobot aligned and the "headquarters" of the dominant Cybertronian religion, with the Mistress of the Flame being basically the Cybertronian Pope.
Chaar, meanwhile, is a mining colony that's firmly Decepticon aligned.
Anyway with energy running low and the war dragging into a stalemate Optimus decides to lead an expedition to find more energy. Megatron finds out (Laserbeak is earning is paycheque) and the Nemesis intercepts the Ark. A battle ensures and the Ark is nearly destroyed, but a blind hyperspace jump at the last second saves them.
The Ark jumps into Earth orbit just behind the moon, crashing on the dark side.
Once the Autobots take stock they study Earth and see that while it has energy it has a sentient native species that's fairly advanced. Optimus won't allow it to be harvested but it will make a perfect refuge while they repair the Ark and hopefully get home.
Earthbound Autobots-
Optimus Prime
Bumblebee
Ironhide
Jazz
Prowl
Arcee
Meanwhile, with Optimus and his inner circle gone, the Autobots are pushed back again. Caminus is the lone holdout on the Autobot side, with the Mistress of the Flame's Torchbearer paladins led by Windblade and Star Sabre able to hold the Decepticons back, but just barely. They know, via the sacred Matrix Flame, that wherever Optimus Prime is, he's not dead.
Megatron, meanwhile is relishing in his victory on Cybertron and most of the colony worlds, but it's a hollow victory. Shockwave tells him that energy is mostly depleted and that even with every world under Decepticon command, they won't last. Additionally whispers from Caminus inform Megs that Optimus is alive... somewhere.
Elita is also still on Cybertron, leading an Autobot resistance cell.
Megatron decides that he needs to find Optimus, as well as a new source of energy. He assigns Starscream to lead a team to find them while he shores up Decepticon control on Cybertron and the colonies and continues the war against Autobot-controlled Caminus.
Season one would be about Optimus Prime and his team of Autobots hiding on Earth, trying to secretly gather as much energy as possible to repair the Ark. Eventually they'd find themselves in something of a superhero role fighting human villains for a spell ala Animated, until this catches Starscream's attention.
Late season one would be Optimus Prime and his team on Earth fighting Starscream's team. Who are...
Starscream
Thundercracker
Skywarp
Lugnut
Blitzwing
The Reflectors
Barricade
Starscream will also be planning a coup, thinking that if HE can kill the Prime and harvest Earth's energy he can rally enough 'cons to his side to overthrow Megatron. Lugnut, put on Starscream's team because he's fanatically loyal to Megatron and Megs knows he needs reliable eyes on 'Screamer, will object when Starscream's ambitions become apparent, leading to Starscream killing him and framing the Autobots.
Season one will end with Starscream's forces defeated in their attempt to take Earth, but with Megatron finally clued into where they are.
Season two sees Megatron arrive to personally take command of the Decepticons, in a more traditional Transformers status quo.
I'd also do something where Optimus occasionally has Matrix visions. Sentinel's consciousness would be akin to Avatar Roku from Avatar TLA, someone who both gives some advice and who warns Optimus not to make the mistakes he did that allowed for this war to happen.
Optimus, like Aang, can also confer with his other predecessors from time to time. All but one... the spirit of Nova Prime in the Matrix doesn't speak. He's just a blank void...
While focused on the Earth crews we'd jump around. Some other ideas...
Lockdown, the unaligned Cybertronian bounty hunter who works for the Quintessons, looking for Optimus Prime because the Quints want the Matrix.
The Star Raiders. Thundertron's group of pirates who decide to attack Cybertronian space to plunder what they can, leading to a battle between them and the Autobot paladins defending Caminus.
Eukaris, a beastformer Cybertronian colony divided between Autobot-aligned Maximals led by Apelinq and Decepticon-aligned Predacons led by Gigatron.
Antilla, a mystery. One of the first Autobot colonies that went mysteriously dark. Think the Roanoke.
Will later be reveled to be Unicron's fault somehow.
Start with a huge battle on Cybertron. Sentinel Prime and Megatron are fighting on an elevated platform akin to Optimus and Megs fighting on the damn.
I'd crib dialogue from their fight in Megatron: Origins because it's that damn good IMO.
Eventually Megs and Sentinel each fall through the structure they were fighting on and Megs kills Sentinel. He goes to rip the Matrix from his chest but ala TFO it disintegrates if claimed by the unworthy.
Megs is enraged. He wanted the Matrix and the power it represents but it's been lost just when he could claim it.
Megs emerges from the wreckage dragging Sentinel's corpse and tosses it into the battlefield. He proclaims he's slain "the last Prime" and willfully destroyed the Matrix to free Cybertron from superstition. The Autobots, shocked and demoralized, retreat and the Decepticons make a push to conquer the planet.
Orion Pax is a dockworker who was drawn to the Decepticon cause for social egalitarianism, against the wishes of his friends Ariel and Dion who think Megatron's been getting too violent to effect any positive change.
Orion doesn't heed their warnings though, and joins the Decepticons. Hell, maybe even have Orion be an old friend of Megatron. One's a miner, one's a dock worker... not inconceivable that they'd meet in organized labour circles early on.
Orion, though, has grown fully disillusioned with Megatron by now. Megs is openly slaughtering entire cities that don't just surrender to the Decepticons, he's torturing POWs, executing the innocent for mere suspicion of being Autobot sympathizers... he's had enough. He tosses his Decepticon badge off and tries to make contact with Ariel and Dion, his two old friends who he knows are safe behind Autobot lines.
Megatron gets wind that his friend had abandoned the cause and tries to chase him down, and he ends up mortally wounding Ariel and Orion, and killing Dion. I'd play it like Megs would try and talk Orion back/Dion and Ariel to his side, but when it doesn't look like they'll listen he loses it and in a fit of rage does the deed(s). Once Megatron realizes he's killed one of his friends and grievously wounded two others he steels himself. If they won't join him they'll perish like the rest of Cybertron who refuses to join him. He goes to kill them but Alpha Trion appears and forces Megs into a retreat. He then saves Ariel and Orion.
Orion is rebuilt into Optronix (thanks @Undead Scottsman!) and Ariel info Elita. Alpha Trion explains that he helps the Autobots when he can but he can only do so much. Still, he tries because he feels responsible.
Optronix asks why. Alpha Trion replies that his real name is Alpha Prime, one of the Thirteen, second oldest only to Prima. He's the only survivor and changed his name so his siblings' legacy could be remembered fully and that Cybetronian society could develop on its own without them looking to him.
He's watched Prima's Matrix get passed from Prime to Prime, but he put too much faith in it. He knew anyone who was accepted by the Matrix would have to be worthy and thought that was enough. Only too recently has he come to understand that to be worthy isn't enough, one has to prove themselves to be continuously worthy. Too many Primes... Guardian... Nova... Nominus... Sentinel... they may have been worthy once but they let that power lead to complacency and arrogance and now this war is the price.
Optronix says it doesn't matter, Megatron destroyed the Matrix, but Alpha Trion doesn't believe that. It can't be destroyed, it's an aspect of Primus himself.
If this war is to end a worthy Prime- one who will be an example of how Cybertron can better itself- will need to arise to oppose Megatron's seemingly unstoppable march. They need to find it first. Alpha Trion sends Optronix and Ariel to Vector Sigma, the supercomputer at Cyberyron's core. If the Matrix is anywhere it's there. He gives them the key to Vector Sigma.
Along the way they run into an Autobot strike team of Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz, Bumblebee, and Ratchet as the medic. Ironhide's ready to take them prisoner as he recognizes Optronix as Orion Pax, Megs' former friend and Decepticon, but Elita produces her Autobot badge and Optronix produces the Key to Vector Sigma.
Optronix says Megatron is on the wrong path but if they can find the Matrix and someone truly worthy to wield it then maybe, just maybe, this war can end.
The Autobot team takes Optronix and Elita in and they begin their quest deep into the core of Cybertron. Along the way they find organic rock and dirt packed in alongside metal and circuitry, suggesting an organic component to Cybertron but we don't linger on it.
Megatron, meanwhile, has found out about this quest. When Alpha Trion stopped him from offing Orion and Ariel he sent Laserbeak to keep tabs on them.
He's leading a team of Decepticons to intercept them. If the core is where the Matrix is then maybe he can still somehow get his hands on it.
As they get to the core they find the key doesn't seem to work, but before they can figure out what to do Megatron shows up with his backup. Optronix tries to reason with his friend, that his path has led to the destruction of Cybertron and that there's no just peace that can grow from his actions. Megatron seems to struggle with this but doubles down.
He angrily beats Optronix and goes to execute Elita, blaming her for "turning" his friend Orion against him but a brutally beaten Optronix takes the blast and seems to die.
Megatron is livid but before he can do anything else the key to Vector Sigma activates and the core glows. Everyone sees the Matrix emerge from the core and Megatron reaches out to take it. He thinks it'll be his but it zooms past him embedding itself in Optronix' prone body. The Matrix revitalizes and reformats him as Optimus Prime.
Optimus leads the Autobots to force Megatron into a retreat and he emerges on the surface. For the Autobots this is a miracle. They thought Megatron destroyed the Matrix. Optimus is able to display, via his ability to command Titans, that he's the real deal. The appearance of a new Prime tallies the Autobots who force the Decepticons into a stalemate.
Because this "Optimus Prime" seemed to appear out of nowhere for the vast majority of 'bots and 'cons alike a rumour begins to circulate that he's not just Sentinel's successor, but the fabled "Arisen," the last of the Thirteen.
This would be played with, with Optimus deeply uncomfortable with the idea but some hints that it might be true (thanks @Shadewing!)
That's the setup
I'd establish that after continuous fighting in this stalemate status quo Cybertron and its colonies begin to run low on energy. Yeah, the colonies are a thing and fully involved in the War. Caminus, for example, is Autobot aligned and the "headquarters" of the dominant Cybertronian religion, with the Mistress of the Flame being basically the Cybertronian Pope.
Chaar, meanwhile, is a mining colony that's firmly Decepticon aligned.
Anyway with energy running low and the war dragging into a stalemate Optimus decides to lead an expedition to find more energy. Megatron finds out (Laserbeak is earning is paycheque) and the Nemesis intercepts the Ark. A battle ensures and the Ark is nearly destroyed, but a blind hyperspace jump at the last second saves them.
The Ark jumps into Earth orbit just behind the moon, crashing on the dark side.
Once the Autobots take stock they study Earth and see that while it has energy it has a sentient native species that's fairly advanced. Optimus won't allow it to be harvested but it will make a perfect refuge while they repair the Ark and hopefully get home.
Earthbound Autobots-
Optimus Prime
Bumblebee
Ironhide
Jazz
Prowl
Arcee
Meanwhile, with Optimus and his inner circle gone, the Autobots are pushed back again. Caminus is the lone holdout on the Autobot side, with the Mistress of the Flame's Torchbearer paladins led by Windblade and Star Sabre able to hold the Decepticons back, but just barely. They know, via the sacred Matrix Flame, that wherever Optimus Prime is, he's not dead.
Megatron, meanwhile is relishing in his victory on Cybertron and most of the colony worlds, but it's a hollow victory. Shockwave tells him that energy is mostly depleted and that even with every world under Decepticon command, they won't last. Additionally whispers from Caminus inform Megs that Optimus is alive... somewhere.
Elita is also still on Cybertron, leading an Autobot resistance cell.
Megatron decides that he needs to find Optimus, as well as a new source of energy. He assigns Starscream to lead a team to find them while he shores up Decepticon control on Cybertron and the colonies and continues the war against Autobot-controlled Caminus.
Season one would be about Optimus Prime and his team of Autobots hiding on Earth, trying to secretly gather as much energy as possible to repair the Ark. Eventually they'd find themselves in something of a superhero role fighting human villains for a spell ala Animated, until this catches Starscream's attention.
Late season one would be Optimus Prime and his team on Earth fighting Starscream's team. Who are...
Starscream
Thundercracker
Skywarp
Lugnut
Blitzwing
The Reflectors
Barricade
Starscream will also be planning a coup, thinking that if HE can kill the Prime and harvest Earth's energy he can rally enough 'cons to his side to overthrow Megatron. Lugnut, put on Starscream's team because he's fanatically loyal to Megatron and Megs knows he needs reliable eyes on 'Screamer, will object when Starscream's ambitions become apparent, leading to Starscream killing him and framing the Autobots.
Season one will end with Starscream's forces defeated in their attempt to take Earth, but with Megatron finally clued into where they are.
Season two sees Megatron arrive to personally take command of the Decepticons, in a more traditional Transformers status quo.
I'd also do something where Optimus occasionally has Matrix visions. Sentinel's consciousness would be akin to Avatar Roku from Avatar TLA, someone who both gives some advice and who warns Optimus not to make the mistakes he did that allowed for this war to happen.
Optimus, like Aang, can also confer with his other predecessors from time to time. All but one... the spirit of Nova Prime in the Matrix doesn't speak. He's just a blank void...
While focused on the Earth crews we'd jump around. Some other ideas...
Lockdown, the unaligned Cybertronian bounty hunter who works for the Quintessons, looking for Optimus Prime because the Quints want the Matrix.
The Star Raiders. Thundertron's group of pirates who decide to attack Cybertronian space to plunder what they can, leading to a battle between them and the Autobot paladins defending Caminus.
Eukaris, a beastformer Cybertronian colony divided between Autobot-aligned Maximals led by Apelinq and Decepticon-aligned Predacons led by Gigatron.
Antilla, a mystery. One of the first Autobot colonies that went mysteriously dark. Think the Roanoke.
Will later be reveled to be Unicron's fault somehow.
I might have to borrow some of these ideas...
Here's what I currently have been brainstorming on mine:
Potential Cybertronian Colonies:
Veloctron - Speed Planet - obessed with being fast, to the point its how they elect their leaders.
Gigantion - Titan Planet - Failed Colony, not enough resouces left most the population in hybernation with structues being built around them, shades of IDW2.
Eukaris - Beast Planet - Home of the BAttle Beasts - created by Onyx Prime
Junkion - Junk Planet - home to the Junkions - Likely used Aligned origins and have it have been formed by an artifact and just ended up spawning life. Unintentional Colony.
Daira - Rock Planet - home of the Inferniacs, aka Rock Lords - Armorizors and Fossilizers - Somewhat failed colony with the inhabiants adapting to survive.
Caminus - Forge planet - Most Successful Cybertronian Colony - Founded by Solus Prime has an almost religous devotion to the Thriteen.
Paradron - Pacifist Planet - Homeplanet of Lifeline, Quickslinger, and Sandstorm
Combatron - Apocalypse Planet - Failed Cybertronian Colony. Lack of Resources lead to its own war, which torn the planet apart.
Biosphera - Jungle Planet - semi-successful colony, inhabatiants adapted beast modes due to a lack of technology, has lead to a survival of the fittest mindset and only the strongest and most brutial lead.
Dominus - Planet Master - developed transtectors to deal with dwindling resources, while typically staying in much smaller energy efficent robot forms.
Botropolis - Lost Colony due to being on an Asteroid. Combining both Hasbro's Gobots with Tonka's. Homeworld of Bugbite, Crasher, Treds, Pathfinder, Road Ranger, Smallfoot, Bad Boy,
Micron - Mini planet
Aquatron - Water World - Home of Sharkticons, now ruled by Quintessons.
Nebulos - Future Colony world?
Neo-Cybertron aka The Hub - Term for a collection of teraformed Cybertronian colonies, Homeworld of Jhiaxus and Leige Maximo.
I would have definitely liked to have worked Junkion and Lithone into things, but I do like the number 13 having cultural significance to Transformers.
Junkion definitely feels like a non-colony that's too stubborn to die out: without a source of new sparks, they just learned to recycle themselves, forever. Which works because there really isn't a Prime that makes a good fit for these guys.
Lithone I would like to delve into it's original concept of them being rock robots: a metal-poor planet resulted in the inhabitants building their bodies out of the hyperdense stone and rock available on the planet until they were able to build the infrastructure necessary to fully cyberform the planet and bring metal back. After upgrading to modern Lithonian forms, something happens with their old sparkless bodies, which come alive and become the primitive but still very much active Armorizers. Also don't really have a Prime for them.
Junkion definitely feels like a non-colony that's too stubborn to die out: without a source of new sparks, they just learned to recycle themselves, forever. Which works because there really isn't a Prime that makes a good fit for these guys.
Lithone I would like to delve into it's original concept of them being rock robots: a metal-poor planet resulted in the inhabitants building their bodies out of the hyperdense stone and rock available on the planet until they were able to build the infrastructure necessary to fully cyberform the planet and bring metal back. After upgrading to modern Lithonian forms, something happens with their old sparkless bodies, which come alive and become the primitive but still very much active Armorizers. Also don't really have a Prime for them.
The Renegade system has "Drone Soilders" for both sides, I've repurposed them to be Autotroopers and Vehicons specifically for my game.
Would any of you be interested in adding to the Personal Canon thread? 
Just dropped my post in there.Would any of you be interested in adding to the Personal Canon thread?
Of course there will be divisions of labor and organization, but for the most part I think it's best to leave this off screen. Every minute your story spends explaining who Sideswipe's commander is is a moment you don't see Sideswipe doing things.
I do think that once things get settled on Earth we want to divvy the autobots up into 2 main "field teams" of ~ 5 characters; that way a typical episode can focus on those 5 characters, alongside a tag-along or two from the "Ark team." You could do the same for Decepticons, but Decepticon teams would probably be largely divvyed up by alt mode, defeating the purpose.
I don't like the idea of "saving Bludgeon" for Cybertron; the longer you keep Cybertron a mysterious place, the better. You can introduce Decepticon citystate commanders as needed, and they're usually going to be "big bads" who could, in theory, give Megatron a run for his money. Bludgeon... seems more like Demolisher with a hobby, so don't go blowing smoke up his tailpipe!
Re: Megatron's "style" of leadership. I'm inclined to think Megatron needs to be charismatic and powerful; he leads with the carrot and the stick. Starscream doesn't have a legitimate grudge at Megatron. You CAN build up Decepticon Ethics, like BW Predacon ethics... "treachery keeps the wits sharp, yes..."... but Starscream's treachery isn't about Megatron, it's about HIM thinking he deserves to rule.
Re: Thundercracker - I like Thundercracker being weary of the Decepticon cause, but more so because it allows folks like Starscream to get ahead. Peace through Tyranny, Might Makes Right, etc. aren't deep philosophical concepts and it's easy to poke holes in them; so Thundercracker not wanting to kill people needlessly or reward cruelty is a bit different than IDW's "I guess I don't like random nuclear weapons killing random people like we've been doing for millions of years. Give me a puppy and a movie career while my fellow cybertronians keep killing themselves."
Re: "Return to Cybertron" - I don't like this for a number of reasons. Most succinctly, the Ark's crew's slumber is one of the most vital parts of the Transformers mythos because it provides a clear divorce between "then" and "now"; as an audience we don't get to see a lot of "then", but since "then" is so long ago no one - not even Megatron or Prime - have a clear idea what the "now" is on Cybertron; so they can be our POV characters as they learn about the changes and new status quo.
It's also worth noting that the Ark is not the Starship Enterprise; it has maybe 20 people on it. Optimus Prime knows everyone here; these are his comrades in arms. Since the Exodus, they may have become famous; but no one's going to be like "I remember that Gears fella. He shortchanged me on energon beer 65 million years ago, how dare he get to shine Robot Jesus's shoes and not me!"
The Exodus might happen relatively early in the great war, but he's been with everyone for quite some time. "Suspected Decepticon-Sympathizer Mirage" has some uncomfortable McCarthyism to it (I know it's a reference to the cartoon...), but it'd also require far more worldbuilding about "then" than it's worth. Simon Tarses was drummed out of Starfleet for lying about the fact his great grandad was Romulan, not Vulcan. But that only works because we know what a Romulan is and a Vulcan is and that they can have children together and we know the history of the species. But, frankly, the longer the show can go without giving the Decepitcons a clear ideological message (outside of military dictatorship, might-makes-right), the better.
For example, IDW botched their G1 Universe by making Megatron right. He's an oppressed, enslaved minority civilian who has to free his people by overthrowing a false religious leader and corrupt senate. And apparently he succeeds. But inexplicably Optimus joins the fascist, false religious leader's side and tries to reform things from the inside??? No. When you make Megatron the victim, you make the people who fight Megatron the oppressors. And the Autobots have histroically been civilians, while the decepticons are military.
Now Megatron can be a military leader who has semi-legitimate military reasons to try to seize power - I'm in favor of autobots being isolationists, while Decepticons are hawks who are kind of interested in freeing their enslaves brothers and sisters spread across the universe as slaves by the Quintessons. But he's the villain, so these reasons are pretext for his more villainous philosophy of might makes right.