Cybertronians come in all shapes and sizes, however there are a handful of general subtypes that have a loose set of guidelines that classify them. These parameters vary depending on what continuity is being referenced, and some overlap can occur that muddle the waters even further. To find clarity and uniformity, below is the loose guidelines that TFP RP recognizes for our forum, and what restrictions, if any, come with them. Some cannot be applied, however are included on this page for reference.

The term "Cassette" when used here, serves as a broad category for certain obscure Cybertronian types, for example, Powermasters, to avoid an excessive list of similar entities. This section is slightly more detailed due to the significant variations in social status and abilities. Cassettes connect with their Carrier through a spark-level bond and may share fuel or other energies, depending on the applicant's preferences and interpretations.

Independents:
The most autonomous Cassettes, these beings can exist independently of a Carrier and do not require one to survive. Although they may choose a Carrier later, they are not obligated to. Their social status depends on their physical form: animal forms are considered menial and mostly unworthy, while humanoid forms can engage more in society, however may still face some prejudice in elite circles. These Cassettes possess sentience and can speak and interact like any other Cybertronian.

• Varies between Humanoid or Animal forms.
• Cannot be applied with Carrier's profile, must be a separate account due to their sentience.

Linked:
Similar to Independents, except they require a Carrier to survive. They cannot go out into the world alone, and are tethered to an extent. How long they can be separated varies from individual to individual, though eventually they must return 'home'.

• Varies between Humanoid or Animal forms.
• Lesser intelligence Cassettes (animals) can be applied with Carrier as one profile.

Drone:
These Cassettes function as 'pets' or tools, serving roles from simple animal companions and working beasts to augmenting their owner or performing surveillance, though are not limited to these. They lack true sentience and hold no social rank, remaining purely as animals or tools.

• Animal or utility in structure, no humanoid forms.
• Lesser intelligence, cannot speak.
• Must be applied with Carrier as one profile.

Quick Note:
Due to the fact that creatures of any type were uncommon even before the war broke out, users will generally be permitted only one animal character, whether it is an independent Cassette, or a Carrier Cassette duo. The only exception are true drones that are utilitarian such as Transformers Prime's representation of Laserbeak, though they still won't be prevalent.

Positioned low on the social ladder, Minicons are primarily seen as tools, rather than as individuals. They can attach to others, enhancing their skills with various boons and weaponry, regardless of whether the Cybertronian is a carrier. Minicons often lack control over who they assist, relegating them to a near-servitude role that can be exploited. When not used for combat, they may be assigned to menial tasks.

• Sometimes have robotic traits such as wheels instead of legs.
• May transform into weapons, or other objects to assist others.
• Many, but not all, speak with beeps and trills like Bumblebee.

Cold constructed after the war was underway, The Vehicon/Eradicon/Miner factories were originally under Autobot control, under Sentinel Prime's rule, where they were unfortunately never used to forge Autobot drones. Liberated by the Decepticons quickly to boost their numbers and hold in the war, soldiers were swiftly mass-produced to serve the Decepticon forces, and as such that is all they've ever known.

There were two classes manufactured, Warrior Class, and Servant Class. No matter which type was made, they largely used the same molds, with the only differences being kibble and utilities specific to each type to help them serve their assigned jobs.

Each soldier was created with sentience and a personality like other Cold Constructed beings, and are aware of the world around them immediately upon creation. Some may simply choose to remain more subdued verses others.

Their names must be three letters followed by three numbers, example QLC-972.

There are no Female-specific frames for Vehicon/Eradicon/Miners as they all came from the same mold.

These baseline armors and weaponry must be included in any application for a Decepticon soldier. The only notable things that differ between them are their personalities, any distinguishing damage, likes and dislikes - and their history once they were brought online into the Decepticon faction.

Vehicons
• Medium Armor
• Alt Mode: Cybertronian vehicle that is passable as a human muscle car - 140mph top speed
• Two forward stationary mounted lasers in Alt Mode - Medium Armor Penetration
• One forearm laser that can fire 7 rapid shots with 3 second cooldown - Medium Armor Penetration
• Claws - Medium Armor Penetration
• Other Strengths - More honed in physical combat

Eradicons
• Medium Armor
• Alt Mode: As seen in the TFP cartoon. (No real-world equivalent needed) - Mach 1 top speed
• Two forward mounted lasers in Alt Mode - Medium Armor Penetration
• Two forearm lasers that can fire 7 rapid shots with 3 second cooldown - Medium Armor Penetration
• Claws - Medium Armor Penetration

Armada Eradicons - Must contact Ren before application
• Medium Armor
• Alt Mode: As seen in the TFP cartoon. (No real-world equivalent needed) - Mach 1.5 top speed
• Two forward mounted lasers in Alt Mode - Medium Armor Penetration
• Two forearm lasers that can fire 10 rapid shots with 3 second cooldown - Medium Armor Penetration
• Claws - Medium Armor Penetration
• Other Strengths - Heightened maneuverability and speed compared to normal Eradicons

Miners
• Medium Armor with Heavy Front Paneling
• No Alt Mode
• One forearm laser that can fire 7 rapid shots with 3 second cooldown - Medium Armor Penetration
• Secondary weapon low range cutting beam for Energon harvest - Heavy armor penetration
• Claws - Medium Armor Penetration
• Double V Visor grants low light vision

Adaptable with a capital 'A', Junkions from the planet Junkion are deeply influenced by Earth broadcasting, making pop-culture references common in their culture. They possess exceptional resilience, able to survive damage that would almost certainly be lethal to others so long as their Spark Chamber and Processor remain intact. While many have a certain creativity and childlike wonder in terms of personality, this is not true of all.

To keep things balanced for a Roleplay setting, their exceptional skills in surgery and mechanical engineering must be toned back. In addition, their expertise should not cover all scientific fields; instead, users must specialize in a specific area. Finally, their ability to survive damage that others cannot should be balanced with appropriate drawbacks.

Although not a specific subtype, these individuals are often alienated and demoted from their previous roles. Considered threats to the Council or the Caste System itself, Empurata victims are not merely deactivated but mutilated as a warning to others. Their heads are completely removed and replaced with a hollow camera-style helm with a single optic, while their hands are replaced with simple clamp claws.

Victims of this procedure are dehumanized, ostracized, and perceived as troublemakers by almost all others. Their faceless appearance makes it hard to relate to them as true Cybertronians, and their lack of functional hands hinders their ability to perform delicate tasks. Players assuming such roles should be aware that their characters will probably provoke strong negative reactions in others, due to their mutilation.

• Must have been a threat to social foundations before War in some way.
• Voice may have been made mechanical upon helm swap.
• Cannot have head or hands repaired without logical foundations in history.

Similar to Empurata, this is not a distinct Cybertronian subtype per se, but is an important factor and process that didn’t necessarily fit elsewhere in our guides, though certainly earned a place here.

Shadowplay was a process that forcibly altered an individual's personality to fit a specific role assigned by the surgeon, often applied against the victim's will. Also known as "Personality Adjustment" or "Change Management," it was used covertly by Sentinel Prime to recruit loyal sleeper agents and has been employed by others, primarily for political gain. Like Empurata, it targeted individuals in powerful positions who were deemed threats, but could also be carried out by a vengeful Mnemosurgeon.

Created during the war to gain a strategic advantage, Triplechangers are seen as formidable and intimidating on the battlefield. However, not all of them fit the legendary roles often whispered among Autobots and Decepticons. They typically possess two Alt-Modes, with their forms varying, though they often combine one ground and one air mode.

In the Transformers franchise, these individuals were often manufactured primarily with Shockwave's involvement and as such serve under his command. However, the forum does not enforce this to avoid requiring players to be interconnected. Instead, NPC wartime scientists and general references that can be vagued around are preferred for their creation, with some flexibility and ambiguity allowed in applications.

These subtypes must be balanced with utmost care to counteract their advantage over most others. While having two modes is a significant upper hand, it must come with notable drawbacks to ensure fair play in a Roleplay setting. These characters should not be overpowered or practically invincible on the battlefield.

This is considered a 'Hard Mode' application and cannot be applied as a first character.

Combiners, consisting of between two to five Cybertronians, merge to form a single entity with a unified mind. This is a quite vague field to define, yet the concept is somewhat flexible, as characters can be inherently designed for this role or made to serve such a role later on in life. They may become a single entity or transform into a weapon. On this forum, each team member must have their own profile, meaning that replacing a member who becomes inactive or departs can be challenging. Ensure all participants are committed, and remember that the combined form will require its own smaller profile as well, to detail its strengths and weapons.

This is considered a 'Hard Mode' application and cannot be applied as a first character.

Outliers are Cybertronians with unique abilities unrelated to their alt-mode or assigned roles, and these abilities are rarely duplicated by others of their kind. Essentially the 'mutants' of the Transformers universe, they possess talents akin to superpowers and were persecuted by Functionalists because of them. Many, though not all, were sheltered at the Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology to learn to manage their differences. Examples of Outliers include Skywarp, who can teleport at will, and Trailbreaker, who can generate forcefields.

Although these abilities can be viewed as rare mutations, which is what they effectively are, they must have some basis in reality on the forum, with a balancing element to counteract and ground them. For example, if a character can read minds as their outlier power, they should only be able to access surface thoughts and emotions due to the electrical fields emitted by processors and require physical contact to do so, and a counter for this could be that it has some sort of feedback element.

This is considered a 'Hard Mode' application and cannot be applied as a first character.

If for some reason you long for the organic children that other species have, but feel restricted by pesky Cybertronian biology, there is hope: the wealthy can emulate it with Sparklings to raise as their own.

Essentially the 'designer babies' of this universe, Sparklings begin with limited abilities and develop into progressively advanced frames until reaching 'adulthood'. They are typically born into affluent environments due to the high cost of the process and rarely experience lower social strata. These beings are exceedingly rare, even on Cybertron.

Harvested from the same Hot Spots as others, Point One Percenter sparks are rare, crackling green instead of the more common blue, occurring in fewer than one in a thousand Cybertronians.

These individuals possess strength that far exceeds their scale, capable of powering frames or armor beyond typical expectations. Essentially, it is a supercharged spark that emits more energy than those of similar size.

Shifters enhance the Robots in Disguise concept by adapting and mirroring other Cybertronians, provided they receive a clear scan or schematic of the target via a hard line to a computer terminal. They cannot change shapes using an internal database. Their appearances can mimic everything from paint jobs to voice, making them indistinguishable even when standing side by side with the one they're copying. While they can replicate physical weaponry like hammers or swords, Energon-based weapons or bullets only replicate visually and do not function. Shifters must mirror targets of similar mass.

This is considered a 'Hard Mode' application and cannot be applied as a first character.

Known more commonly as Cityformers or Metrotitans, these colossal beings are exactly as their names suggest - enormous behemoths who are challenging to contend with. While these figures are unable to be applied for obvious reasons, scaled-down concepts can be considered, such as ships or ground-bound transports that others can utilize. Balancing these are tricky, however, simply to make certain other characters won't be steamrolled with a flick of the wrist. Expect complications, not because Administration wishes to be difficult, we just need things to be fair for the community.

This is considered a 'Hard Mode' application and cannot be applied as a first character.

Once Autobot prisoners from the Lightning Strike Coalition, Dinobots are unfortunate victims of Shockwave's direct tampering, forcibly converting them from their standard altmodes, to those of beastly origin. Typically portrayed as dinosaurs from Earth's prehistoric age, these individuals underwent severe torment to become what they are now, the process often reducing their cognitive ability, while also heightening their aggression. Most did not survive this ordeal, however, those who did became stronger for it. While Dinobots are permitted on this forum should the profile mesh well enough with our continuity, Original Characters are not at this time.

This is considered a 'Hard Mode' application and cannot be applied as a first character.

This section is for lore purposes only, as these ancient creatures cannot be applied for. Originating from the earliest periods of Cybertron's history, they took forms ranging from dragons and hydras to gryphons. Their primary form was animalistic, with a humanoid counterpart as their alt mode. Extinct long before the Golden Age, they are known only through lore and the few remnants of their existence.

This section briefly establishes lore only, as these cannot be applied for. Insecticons are beastly Cybertronians with both their Alt and Root forms being highly animalistic. They can operate independently, or under a hive leader and generally have more simplified mental capabilities. Many were cocooned in a stasis-like state and stationed on Cybertron by the Decepticons as dormant guards, ready to awaken and eliminate any detected threats.

Unable to be applied, this section is to establish the lore for this setting. Which... currently is none.