Fundamental difference between Predacons and Maximals?

[AniDragon]

And fundamental difference between Autobots and Decepticons, while we're at it.

I have an RP character who wants to remain a Maximal, but fight on the Predacon team. (Sort of like when BlachArachnia remained a Predacon and faught on the Maximal team)

So... I'm just wondering... Other than which side you fight for, what is the actual difference between the two factions? It's not as "Black and white, evil and good" as the show makes it seem sometimes, I know that.

Having not watched the original transformers, I'm not in any place to make the best assumption about it, but I'm thinking it's maybe some sort of political view?

I know my character gets along better with Predacons, but I need a good reason for him to not want to change his faction.

[SilverfromOZ]

Predacons are ruled by one thing. Power. If you take that into account you can come up with Myriad excuses for a Pred to join a Maxi group. Blackarachnia is a special consideration (remember that she was in essence not a "pure" predacon, what with the whole maximal core) whereby she fell in love with Silverbolt and was ultimately the reason she switched, however even then, it was her ambition which actually forced her into a situation to chose. Had she not headed out to claim the Ark for whatever scheme she was planning, she wouldn't have been there at all. Additionally, she said it herself "I was saving my own hide" with regards to her stopping Megatron.

Now take Dinobot for instance, noble, proud, honourable but still ambitious to the core. Joined the Maximals because he saw a bodyguard/army he could easily acquire, and Scorpinok had just blasted him in the chest (always a deal breaker ). Stole the golden disks to see what he could gain and returned them to Megatron because HE needed to know. For all his noble actions in the end, there was always that self-serving element hovering in the background.

So options:
1) the Preds have a falling out and the guy joins the Maxis because there is nowhere else to go, or he can offer something to them, or he fakes a Maximal energy signature and pretends to be a Maxi before stabbing them all in the back.

2) The Pred was a former Maximal and after sticking his finger in the electric socket, his operating system is rebooted and the Maximal core comes out again (however the Pred shell program sometimes kicks in once in a while)

3) I know a lot of people hated BM, however I loved the concept of Spark corruption, the concept of Tankor was soooo cool. It brought the darker element of Transformers out and showed that even the purest of Maximals could still succumb to baser desires.


So I hope that gives you some kind of direction/perspective. Go forth and conquer.

[AniDragon]

Hmmm... I don't know if any those in particular would work... He's been a Maximal from the start, but just gets along better with Predacons for some reason. But he won't switch his faction to Predacon.

If it helps any, I can give a bit of background story on him. He's a scientist, and on Cybertron worked in a lab that did a lot of controversial experiments. His lab partner (now dead) was a Predacon. Long story made short, his lab was destroyed by a mercenary working for a rival company, he ends up on the crew of a ship going to planet Alloyan, which is where the RP takes place.

[Razor One]

Heres an idea I'm toying with. Take it if it fits well.

When a Spark is born, they can have three general dispositions. Predacon, Maximal, or Neutral. In one of my stories a slight background to a rather abrasive maximal character was that his spark had a heavy disposition to being Predacon, yet he'd been placed in a maximal body with maximal programming.

The programming often conflicts with his base nature, often leading him to act very differently from maximals. He hates Predacons to no end, he's sarcastic and incredibly abrasive to his comrades and hates anyone that tells him what to do.

He hates Predacons because he cannot be one of them. He hates other Maximals because they disgust him, and even hates himself to a degree. Overall, he's meant to be a very bitter and resentful character.

Ahem, getting back to your problem though, you could argue that although this character of yours has a maximal body and programming, his spark is ultimately Predacon, and that he's finally giving full leave to his inner feelings for the first time.

[Angral]

heh. get's along better with preds aye?

in that case i'd just go wtih he's a really ambitious maximal. he's not like rhinox, content to be the loyal 2ic. he's not a ratrap, complaining and wisecracking yet still loyal.

make him a maximal who subscribes to the 'as long as the intentions are good, anything is ok'. you can then do anything in character as long as your character truly believes that this course of action is for the greater good.

ba and db did the 'right' thing through self preservation and megalomania. your character can just as easily do the 'wrong' thing despite his intentions being for the best.

of course, it could be even cooler if you made him an easily manipulated gullible sap who 'gets along' with the preds so well because the preds see this and readily take advantage of it, while the maximals don't. you could also make him a strong character who is hanging out with preds because they have the balls and willingness to do what is necessary to ensure the greater good, unlike those other maximals. even if the preds aren't doing for the same reasons you are, they're willing to do it.

etc.

[VelociBerg]

Well, Quickstrike is essentially a Maximal working with the Predacons. Not a single bot was around to alter his programming, but he just tends towards the more violent Predacon lifestyle over the Maximal one.

Just something I thought I'd throw out there.