Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[TwistLaw]

I seriously hope this is gonna be a reboot.

We know almost for sure that the story will be far easier overall, in an attempt to avoid all the mistakes the old storyline made.

So why "ruining" a story that more or less had a satisfying ending?

What happened in the old BIONICLE should stay there without any further change: I really liked the old story, and I find it had a strong consistence throughout its whole run.

Beginning from the style of the sets themselves (CCBS Vs pins&axles) this BIONICLE will be different from the old, at least give us different stories too.

[King of Nynrah]

So why "ruining" a story that more or less had a satisfying ending?

I don't think replacing everything they were building up to with "oh look pieces of another robot appeared in the desert out of nowhere" and "Let's make Teridax suddenly decide to fly to Bara Magna and fight Mata Nui for no reason!" was a satisfying ending, personally...

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

I don't think replacing everything they were building up to with "oh look pieces of another robot appeared in the desert out of nowhere" and "Let's make Teridax suddenly decide to fly to Bara Magna and fight Mata Nui for no reason!" was a satisfying ending, personally...

Though absurd, it gave closure (If you ignore the abandoned online serials that Greg never should have started in the first place.)

[Aanchir]

I don't think replacing everything they were building up to with "oh look pieces of another robot appeared in the desert out of nowhere" and "Let's make Teridax suddenly decide to fly to Bara Magna and fight Mata Nui for no reason!" was a satisfying ending, personally...

The pieces of the other robot were on Bara Magna in our very first glimpses of it back in 2008, so I don't think it was the slightest bit "out of nowhere".

Granted, the timing of Teridax traveling to Bara Magna was a bit fortuitous... it's a decision he essentially could have made at any time, but he just happened to linger on Aqua Magna fighting the rebellions in his own body JUST long enough to give his bitter rival a fighting chance. I suppose that part of that could be chalked up to the storyline having to kick things into overdrive since its end was coming sooner than expected.

Still, all things considered, I think BIONICLE got about the best ending it COULD have gotten, given the circumstances. My only regret is that Greg tried to drag the serials out further and ended up leaving a huge mess behind. If it had been able to bring those to their conclusion in 2010, I'm sure there'd have been some whining from fans that the ending to THOSE was also rushed, but there wouldn't be nearly as many people demanding that the new BIONICLE tie up loose ends that shouldn't have even existed in the first place.

[arc]

I don't think replacing everything they were building up to with "oh look pieces of another robot appeared in the desert out of nowhere" and "Let's make Teridax suddenly decide to fly to Bara Magna and fight Mata Nui for no reason!" was a satisfying ending, personally...

Hey, if I was 10 years old I would think that story is awesome.

But I see your point completely, and am really hoping that this is a continuation of the old story. But we've beat this discussion to death more than once in this thread.

Edited September 23, 2014 by arc

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

Hey, if I was 10 years old I would think that story is awesome.

But I see your point completely, and am really hoping that this is a continuation of the old story. But we've beat this discussion to death more than once in this thread.

I'm not averse to seeing it brought it up again, if the discussion is polite. This thread has slowed down a lot over the last week.

Edited September 23, 2014 by The Kumquat Alchemist

[Nekchir]

Random question: how many sets are ya'll getting? I plan on getting every set (including the Defender's) as soon as they're available. It will hopefully be the start of my very first complete Bionicle collection.

Yes, I might have asked this before.

[Dorek]

I'm a collector by nature, but I'm pretty bad at it. The plan is for all of them, certainly, but we'll see if the budget allows for it.

[GK733]

I'm aiming to get them all but if not for sure at least all of the toa.

[King of Nynrah]

Random question: how many sets are ya'll getting? I plan on getting every set (including the Defender's) as soon as they're available. It will hopefully be the start of my very first complete Bionicle collection.

Yes, I might have asked this before.

It honestly depends how the story is. While I love the sets as they are, old and new, I've always been more inclined to get the physical versions of the characters I liked in the story more than the ones that were boring or didn't have much of a role at all (although the first set I bought for myself was Morak, he is an exception ). One of the many reasons I am extremely wary of the new story being a reboot - if it is as effortlessly simplistic as HF's story was, I probably won't bother getting any sets at all and just continue on with other hobbies instead.

[Nekchir]

Yeah, I am the same when it comes to the story--it was the reason why I barely got any HF.

But sadly, I might just get them despite.

[Chimaninja454]

I'm getting all of them (namely the Defenders, Toa (Masters) and the Lord of the Skull Spiders) and it's very exciting! :P

[arc]

I'm not averse to seeing it brought it up again, if the discussion is polite. This thread has slowed down a lot over the last week.

I don't have any issues with it either, just saying most have been through it already. (Although I shouldn't speak for the majority here.)

Random question: how many sets are ya'll getting? I plan on getting every set (including the Defender's) as soon as they're available. It will hopefully be the start of my very first complete Bionicle collection.

Yes, I might have asked this before.

depends on what the budget allows, which isn't much right now. But I'd like to get at least one toa and protector. And maybe the skull spider.

[Timeline15]

Is the suggestion I made a few pages back about not continuing the 2010 serials, but having a new story with the old one still canon in the past, what people are referring to as a "soft reboot"? I've not really heard the term used before, and by that logic, didn't the first half of 2009 also fall into that category, because I consider that more 'rebranding' than 'rebooting'.

Also, I fully intend to get all the sets, if possible.

[Mandate]

Yeah, plot is a big factor in set decision for me as well. If the new story is terrible, I'll just be going back to NINJAGO for a while But I'll at least try to pick up Tahu/Lewa and a few Protectors.

[TheGreatSpirit]

I'm going to try on getting Kopaka, Tahu, and LoSS first if LoSS is any good. If early reviews indicate he's no good, I'll just pick up Gali instead.

Edited September 23, 2014 by TheGreatSpirit

[SoupOrFishOil]

I'll definitely make an effort to get all six Toa. I never took the chance to get a full team before, and I don't want to waste that opportunity again. I'll probably skip LOSS in hopes for better Summer villains. I haven't decided which Defenders I'll pick up yet, (if any, Toa and DC come first) but Stone would be top priority, then Ice, Earth, Fire, Water, and Jungle, in that order.

Plot is a big factor for me, and it is a part of why I never did get into HF, though I regret it.

I never thought of HF as being story driven, but I don't think that LEGO would reduce BIONICLE to that level on purpose, since having an original story was one of the whole points of it in the first place (otherwise they probably would have put Doo Heads into production instead). To be fair though, I guess that any franchise can be resorted to something like that IFB ending in the wrong hands, or even when a talented team isn't given enough to work with. Actually, because of that, I don't see why a continuation would ensure that the story would not be "effortlessly simple." If anything, I might be more afraid of that happening if it wasn't a hard reboot, but maybe that's just me....

Is the suggestion I made a few pages back about not continuing the 2010 serials, but having a new story with the old one still canon in the past, what people are referring to as a "soft reboot"? I've not really heard the term used before, and by that logic, didn't the first half of 2009 also fall into that category, because I consider that more 'rebranding' than 'rebooting'.

That is what I would mean by soft reboot, but everyone seems to have their own interpretations. I think Greg did refer to 2009 as a soft reboot.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Super Fish Oil

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

I'll certainly be getting all the Protectors for parts. Their many small limb elements are invaluable to me, as well as their blasters.

For the Toa, it will depend on how well their characters are developed, so if the story turns out to be lackluster I'll probably skip half, only getting Tahu, Pohatu, and Kopaka.

LOSS might be worth picking up for parts, but only if those parts are very interesting. Otherwise I'll not get him, unless I can find him at a discount price.

Edited September 23, 2014 by The Kumquat Alchemist

[toatyger]

How about a combo model of LOSS and onua? To make Makuta, of course.

[Grima]

I'll definitely try to get all the Toa, especially if we get Kaita again.

My budget for LEGO might be a little strained by that time, though, since I have a mosaic that'll cost quite a bit to make.

[Shakar]

I'll definitely get all the Toa, and some of the others depending on their parts. LoSS looked cool and made of fairly useful parts at first, but now that I saw his structure is made of Technic (grah) he doesn't look that interesting aside his head/chest and the gold spider.

I'm still on the fence on most of the Protectors. I think I'll buy Earth P. for the (tr.?) purple and Stone P. for the armour bits and tr. yellow. The other 4 seem less interesting, though I do kinda want Fire P.'s mask to use it as a neo-Arthron.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Shakar

[mysteriouspi]

The discussions about who's buying what has me wondering: lots of people are only going to buy the sets if the story is a reboot instead of a continuation, or visa versa, or depending on if the story is to their taste. Why? The sets are there. At this point, the status of the story will not affect the quality of the sets. So why not purchase the sets primarily based on whether or not you like the sets themselves?

I'm not trying to criticize anyone's decision-making if it sounds that way. Just want to know all your thoughts about this.

[King of Nynrah]

The discussions about who's buying what has me wondering: lots of people are only going to buy the sets if the story is a reboot instead of a continuation, or visa versa, or depending on if the story is to their taste. Why? The sets are there. At this point, the status of the story will not affect the quality of the sets. So why not purchase the sets primarily based on whether or not you like the sets themselves?

I'm not trying to criticize anyone's decision-making if it sounds that way. Just want to know all your thoughts about this.

Because I'm someone who is more interested in story, which in turn leads me to buy the sets. Let me give you an example: if you're considering getting into Star Trek, are you going to watch the series first and then buy the merchandise due to your interest in it, or buy the merch before even watching the series and knowing what it is about?

Edited September 23, 2014 by King of Nynrah

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

The discussions about who's buying what has me wondering: lots of people are only going to buy the sets if the story is a reboot instead of a continuation, or visa versa, or depending on if the story is to their taste. Why? The sets are there. At this point, the status of the story will not affect the quality of the sets. So why not purchase the sets primarily based on whether or not you like the sets themselves?

I'm not trying to criticize anyone's decision-making if it sounds that way. Just want to know all your thoughts about this.

I find that most of the sets are excellent, and that is my main reason for wanting them. The Protectors are worth getting for parts, and I think Tahu, Kopaka, and Pohatu are solidly-built Toa that I would find worth getting even if they had no characterization at all.

However, Lewa, Gali, and Onua do not appeal to me much as sets. Only if I find the Toa appealing in terms of personality will I want to purchase the last three. If a character's appeal is strong enough, any doubts about the quality of their sets are overridden by a desire to see the Toa team completed.

I see this as part of why BIONICLE sold so well. They weren't just cool toys, they were cool characters.

After all, if sets sold purely on quality of design, would so complex a story as the old BIONICLE's have been needed? LEGO certainly did let Greg overdo that complexity near the end, but a healthy level of it gives another reason for consumers to purchase the sets. Even when the sets hit a bad note, a like of the characters the sets portray can motivate people to buy them. It's part of the reason why I keep my Toa Mata team assembled at all times, because I enjoyed the stories about them, both as separate characters and as a team working together.

Edited September 23, 2014 by The Kumquat Alchemist

[mysteriouspi]

Because I'm someone who is more interested in story, which in turn leads me to buy the sets. Let me give you an example: if you're considering getting into Star Trek, are you going to watch the series first and then buy the merchandise due to your interest in it, or buy the merch before even watching the series and knowing what it is about?

While I understand what you're saying, I think the situation with Bionicle is a special case. It's not like we're coming into this line completely blind; we already know who these Toa/Masters are. It's unlikely that, reboot or not, those specific characters are going to change much in personality and behavior. I could be wrong, of course. But like I said, these are characters most of us enjoy already, and from a line we are already familiar with.

If anything, someone could ignore the new story completely and choose to view this Toa as CCBS updates of their original forms. But that's up to individual preference.

I'm probably just rambling now. You do make a good point.