Hero Factory 2011

[Aanchir]

Heh. Does it cost 100 dollars?

Not even purchaseable, since part 90622 (Beam C 5M) isn't in DesignByMe mode. If you assume them to be the same cost as 90609 and 90617 (the other two 5M bone pieces, 24 cents apiece), then the Pick-A-Brick cost comes out to $21.60 US. Making the same assumption, a DbM purchase of the same parts would be $37.00.

A Bricklink purchase of the same parts would range from $27.00 to $63.00 based on price guide info, and would be consistently $39.00-$40.00 based on what's for sale currently. So needless to say, Pick-A-Brick would be the cheapest way to accumulate this many of these pieces, with DesignByMe in a close second.

This is all based on US prices. International prices vary and are subject to the same price discrepancies as actual sets (though I can't say for sure which is more severe-- sets or DbM purchases).

[Jouster]

Just finished watching OOF. Great show, it's a shame that it's only 1 episode BUT the jokes in it and the fitting voice actors made up for it. My favourite joke is the one about Breez looking like a male.Anyway, for some reason Nex and Evo's personalities are switched. Also, Von Ness and Thresher have a cameo in OOF.Maybe...Maybe Von Nebula has been turned back into a hero? I don't know..Maybe it's non-canon. Overall Ordeal of Fire is good. I enjoyed watching it.

[Aanchir]

Just finished watching OOF. Great show, it's a shame that it's only 1 episode BUT the jokes in it and the fitting voice actors made up for it. My favourite joke is the one about Breez looking like a male.Anyway, for some reason Nex and Evo's personalities are switched. Also, Von Ness and Thresher have a cameo in OOF.Maybe...Maybe Von Nebula has been turned back into a hero? I don't know..Maybe it's non-canon. Overall Ordeal of Fire is good. I enjoyed watching it.

I'm pretty sure the cameos are just a way of reusing existing 3-D models for generic characters. It's done in a lot of 3-D TV shows and movies. That's the reason why Kongu was just a recolored Hafu in the second BIONICLE movie, and the reason most babies in "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" are identical no matter what their role is in the plot. The idea that there are other heroes resembling Von Ness and Thresher isn't completely illogical, so there's no reason to assume it's non-canon, but I doubt they were meant as cameos.

I didn't even realize it was airing today. But it probably will air again at a more convenient time. If not, being a one-episode thing, it could very easily end up packaged with another LEGO movie or miniseries (the Ninjago miniseries maybe?) the same way the Atlantis short was packaged with "Rise of the Rookies".

Edited April 10, 2011 by Aanchir

[The Crazy One]

Has anyone ordered their Recon Team custom yet? I am tempted to buy Joshua Mercury Viper ( ) now, I'm just a little aprehensive about the Recon Team chest piece.

[The Mugbearer]

Since LDD staff has released HF 2.0 pieces, everyone has started to produce digital HF-2.0 MOCs.

I wonder, is this the right thing?

O'course, Extended Mode is an awesome sandbox for those who can't allow themselves to buy a set or two and make a good MOC, but action figures made in LDD always were strange for me. I simply can't understand them, if you know what I mean. I can do some Mechas in LDD by myself, but HF/Bionicle? I don't get it.

Edit: Jammit, I wanna see OOF too! But I have no possibilities.

Edited April 10, 2011 by -N13OS-

[Aanchir]

Since LDD staff has released HF 2.0 pieces, everyone has started to produce digital HF-2.0 MOCs.

I wonder, is this the right thing?

O'course, Extended Mode is an awesome sandbox for those who can't allow themselves to buy a set or two and make a good MOC, but action figures made in LDD always were strange for me. I simply can't understand them, if you know what I mean. I can do some Mechas in LDD by myself, but HF/Bionicle? I don't get it.

Edit: Jammit, I wanna see OOF too! But I have no possibilities.

What separates action figure models from other MOCs? Some would say simplicity, but keep in mind that many people have been coming up with simple models so far. The parts were just added, so naturally people are going to first be testing the parts in ways similar to their original applications.

I've already got some doodles on my LDD of more complex models, including an attempt at a more feminine-looking hero frame. But there's a range of freedom the digital format allows which people are only beginning to explore. As I see it, LDD is no different than MOCing in general in that regard, and Hero Factory MOCs are no different than MOCs of any other theme or genre.

[The Mugbearer]

Thank you for explaining, Aanchir.

My only complaint about LDD that there is missing a few Bionicle parts that doesn't allow me to assemble some of my simplest MOCs. =)

[krystalKING]

I missed the first episode?!When and on what channel is it coming on tomorrow?

[r4-g9]

Has anyone ordered their Recon Team custom yet? I am tempted to buy Joshua Mercury Viper ( ) now, I'm just a little aprehensive about the Recon Team chest piece.

i have ordered 2 different heros, both of them using the recon team chest peice, but they haven't shipped yet, and i ordered them on tuesday. does anyone know the apporimate time it takes for lego to put together a design by m order?

Edited April 11, 2011 by r4-g9

[Brickthing]

What separates action figure models from other MOCs? Some would say simplicity, but keep in mind that many people have been coming up with simple models so far. The parts were just added, so naturally people are going to first be testing the parts in ways similar to their original applications.

I've already got some doodles on my LDD of more complex models, including an attempt at a more feminine-looking hero frame. But there's a range of freedom the digital format allows which people are only beginning to explore. As I see it, LDD is no different than MOCing in general in that regard, and Hero Factory MOCs are no different than MOCs of any other theme or genre.

Despite the digital benefits of LDD, you can't hold the model in your hand and see/feel how strong it is. This is certainly more important for action figures than other Lego MOCs, because they often need to be built to be balanced and able to withstand moderate play, which is something that LDD can't simulate (yet? ).

In that respect, I suppose LDD is both good and bad for building larger figures/creations with the Hero Factory system - you have access to the quantity of pieces that you need, but LDD can't handle the complex assemblies that large figures would use in real life.

[Aanchir]

Despite the digital benefits of LDD, you can't hold the model in your hand and see/feel how strong it is. This is certainly more important for action figures than other Lego MOCs, because they often need to be built to be balanced and able to withstand moderate play, which is something that LDD can't simulate (yet? ).

In that respect, I suppose LDD is both good and bad for building larger figures/creations with the Hero Factory system - you have access to the quantity of pieces that you need, but LDD can't handle the complex assemblies that large figures would use in real life.

Well, to be fair, that sort of problem occurs with any type of MOC. I've built a spaceship on LDD before only to find upon building it from my real-life parts that sections of it have to be redesigned to remove weak points.

I can definitely agree that the complex assemblies are hard to carry out, though-- I've tried to build Fire Lord on LDD, but getting his hip joint supports attached is very difficult. And this could potentially limit the complexity of the things people can build with Hero Factory parts on LDD. Still, a lot of things concerning Hero Factory-style joints have been improved in the latest version, so here's hoping some of these current areas of difficulty will likewise be improved in the future.

[Mesonak]

An old friend of mine has uploaded Ordeal of Fire in HD here and here.

-Mesonak

[_shaddow_]

Has anyone ordered their Recon Team custom yet? I am tempted to buy Joshua Mercury Viper ( ) now, I'm just a little aprehensive about the Recon Team chest piece.

Yup, I oredered mine the 5th, so I'll recieve it by the 20/25 I suppose.

[Nike2032]

An old friend of mine has uploaded Ordeal of Fire in HD here and here.

-Mesonak

Thanks for the link Mesonak. Quite good episodes, didn't fine the jokes stupid, they were actually funny .

But I think this is the only episode that is going to be aired for the winter line of hero factory.

[averick]

r they going to make episodes for the summer sets??? cus Im wondering how they get animal powers.

[The Crazy One]

r they going to make episodes for the summer sets??? cus Im wondering how they get animal powers.

Just for future reference, please use proper grammer and spelling when on Eurobricks, as the mods do enforce it quite thoroughly.

But, on your point, it will be interesting to see how the powers are intergrated into the Heros. We'll have to wait and see.

[Aanchir]

r they going to make episodes for the summer sets??? cus Im wondering how they get animal powers.

Since they're version 3.0 rather than 2.0, I'd imagine it's another upgrade, and the animal powers are just to help them adapt to the jungle environment. No idea whether it's a different type of upgrade, though.

Even if there aren't episodes for the third wave, there have been comics going along with most of the episodes so far. So the relevant story information could easily be covered elsewhere.

[The Crazy One]

Since they're version 3.0 rather than 2.0, I'd imagine it's another upgrade, and the animal powers are just to help them adapt to the jungle environment. No idea whether it's a different type of upgrade, though.

Even if there aren't episodes for the third wave, there have been comics going along with most of the episodes so far. So the relevant story information could easily be covered elsewhere.

And the comics and/or tv shows aren't strictly accurate are they? So the usefulness of the shows as anything other than entertainment are debatable.

[Aanchir]

And the comics and/or tv shows aren't strictly accurate are they? So the usefulness of the shows as anything other than entertainment are debatable.

Well, it depends what you mean by "accurate". They're one of the most consistent and reliable sources of story progression, and as of yet besides certain web content they're about all that's available. On the recently launched HeroSector01 Wiki they're where most of the information comes from.

Technically, yes, they're not useful for anything besides entertainment. But everything in the theme, at least as far as story is concerned, exists purely for entertainment. Sure, the sets have the added benefit of being a creative medium, but it's still a toy line, and entertainment is basically what you get when you boil it down to its bare essence.

As entertainment, it's only natural that people would seek to understand it as thoroughly as possible if they want to get more out of it than just the raw enjoyment. So I don't honestly understand what you're comparing it to when you say it's not strictly accurate or not useful. It's accurate in the context of the story it intends to portray, and as useful as any other Hero Factory story medium. That's really all that matters in this situation.

[The Crazy One]

Well, it depends what you mean by "accurate". The......... That's really all that matters in this situation.

Oh sorry, I didnt make myself clear. I was just making the point that I was under the impression that there were continuity and consistency errors between the website, comics and tv shows. I ment accurate in the sense of how consistent they are.

[Brickthing]

Storyline wise I'd hope that the TV series is accurate, but it certainly isn't strongly concerned about visual continuity - Thresher, Von Ness and a recoloured Red Bulk appeared amongst the crowds during news reports.

[averick]

so upon studying the rock xl picks ive figured something out if u replace all the gold armor and helm, and replaced it with lets say white armor and stormers helm you have got stormer XL u can do it with every one of the heroes so thats my idea for making XL versions of every hero

[Brickthing]

so upon studying the rock xl picks ive figured something out if u replace all the gold armor and helm, and replaced it with lets say white armor and stormers helm you have got stormer XL u can do it with every one of the heroes so thats my idea for making XL versions of every hero

Stormer might be an exception, but I think that only Rocka's helmet is designed to fit on the XL design - all the other helmets will look too small. It's still worth trying though, especially as there aren't many gold/Rocka exclusive pieces in the design.

On another note Averick, can you please use proper capitalization and punctuation? It keeps the topics easier and more enjoyable to read.

[Aanchir]

Storyline wise I'd hope that the TV series is accurate, but it certainly isn't strongly concerned about visual continuity - Thresher, Von Ness and a recoloured Red Bulk appeared amongst the crowds during news reports.

Well, you have to keep in mind, again, that this is a trend in CGI television series. Creating brand-new character designs is difficult in most situations, especially for crowds. The BIONICLE movies did this themselves, but it was slightly less obvious since BIONICLE had already established the existence of palette-swapped side characters in its online games and other media. Still, you couldn't help but observe that most of the Matoran side characters in MoL and LoMN had just a small sampling of the various mask designs in the series.

Another part of this trend is the use of "modular" character designs-- that is to say, character designs that can be slightly modified to create new characters. Obviously, most LEGO themes are perfect for this, since the products themselves are modular. But still, it's glaringly obvious that Daniela Capricorn is largely just a recolored Lucy with different hair, that Thresher is little more than a recolored Dunkan Bulk, and that Big Joe's character design is adapted ever-so-slightly for many male Hero Factory side-characters.

Of course, since many of the characters are factory-made robots, I don't consider it too much of a flaw that side characters may bear a resemblance to main characters or to each other. It can be a bit distracting to see a named character's spitting image in a group of meaningless side-characters, but overall it isn't something important to dwell on.

[The Mugbearer]

Aanchir, I've got to notice that the most obvious sample of 'character customization' is the Villains themselves. =)

They are not looks like Heroes or Makuhero City's inhabitants. For example, Von Nebula and Fire Lord's gang. The first one is a corrupted Hero. The rest of are faulty mining robots which has been made for different tasks.

Edited April 12, 2011 by -N13OS-