Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[the last chronicler]

Maybe I'm wrong in saying this, but I always found the Bionicle to have a 'gritty' texture. Everythings mechanical, worn and aged.

I mean it had more depth in that, but it always had rough edges. Look at the MNOG. The stuff with the infected masks is creepy.

Anyways, for Bionicle to 'feel' like Bionicle it needs to feel like exploring a new land. To do that you need a new land.

[BFN]

I know you were in diapers when they switched greys, but the overall online community has always been full of arguments, angry disagreements, personal vendettas, etc.

Like the argument and angry disagreement (and subtle insult) you're perpetrating in this very sentence? XD

[Bill Wilson]

We should make confirming these images part of our plans. All of this debating might crash the fandom....with no survivors.

[King of Nynrah]

Catching up on some of the older comments... KoN, out of curiosity, how would you have expected LEGO to include fans who got into the story all at different times? Like, how would you do it specifically? I mean, for those who just came in 2006, you'd have a way different Toa team than those who started out in 2001 or 2004, and way different plots. For 2008, some of the bit draws were the dark Makuta species (which would now have to utilize the gangster/tyrannical appeal of the Piraka) and the swamps/stalactites, which would probably be crowded next to the tropical island and futuristic (and also post-apocalyptic) metropolis. And then there's.... 2009.

I don't mean to make this confrontational, or even rhetorical. It's just that, as others have pointed out, each year was pretty diverse, so I'm just curious what you had in mind.

I gave an example a while back of the new Matoran (still assuming that there are any) crafting masks out of powered disks (a reference to Kanoka). There could also be a village covered in Visorak webbing, the inclusion of later masks like the Mask of Fusion, old Rahi in new forms... maybe an amnesic Dark Hunter could wash up on shore one day. They don't have to call them by their old names if it would confuse new fans, but their inclusion would be a cool reference to those who were with Bionicle in those years.

[Bill Wilson]

I gave an example a while back of the new Matoran (still assuming that there are any) crafting masks out of powered disks (a reference to Kanoka). There could also be a village covered in Visorak webbing, the inclusion of later masks like the Mask of Fusion, old Rahi in new forms... maybe an amnesic Dark Hunter could wash up on shore one day. They don't have to call them by their old names if it would confuse new fans, but their inclusion would be a cool reference to those who were with Bionicle in those years.

So, essentially you think there should be enough nods to the older fandom to satisfy older fans, but not too many nods to confuse newer fans? I think that is a fantastic idea.

(This is all assumming that this is a reboot).

[BFN]

I gave an example a while back of the new Matoran (still assuming that there are any) crafting masks out of powered disks (a reference to Kanoka). There could also be a village covered in Visorak webbing, the inclusion of later masks like the Mask of Fusion, old Rahi in new forms... maybe an amnesic Dark Hunter could wash up on shore one day. They don't have to call them by their old names if it would confuse new fans, but their inclusion would be a cool reference to those who were with Bionicle in those years.

I sort of see what you mean, but that's a lot of references to cram into one year. Is it a good idea to get all of those little Easter Eggs out in one year, though? There'd be none left for other years. Right now, it seems like they're taking care of 2001-2003. Besides, cramming each and every reference into just one year would not only require a lot of media detracting from the main story, but... honestly, it would cheapen a lot of it. Part of what I loved about BIONICLE was the slow but ultimately mind-blowing progression from one city being in danger (I got into the story in 2004 as well), to realizing that there are bigger forces than the Toa and Teridax at play, to having to save the universe... The effect of the Visorak webbing only had value in the original story because they devoted the whole tone and theme to it, and progressed up to it by setting the city up as something that was once majestic but got corrupted, just like the Toa. If you just make a village covered in the webbing, it loses all that. It becomes an Easter Egg.

[Loki]

I gave an example a while back of the new Matoran (still assuming that there are any) crafting masks out of powered disks (a reference to Kanoka). There could also be a village covered in Visorak webbing, the inclusion of later masks like the Mask of Fusion, old Rahi in new forms... maybe an amnesic Dark Hunter could wash up on shore one day. They don't have to call them by their old names if it would confuse new fans, but their inclusion would be a cool reference to those who were with Bionicle in those years.

A lot of those aren't really references, though. Most of those are plot elements that held integral points to exist in the old story -- visorak make visorak webbing, where's the visorak that webbed up a village? Why are there visorak there? Are they the same as the old canon, or their new iteration? Then with the discs, we don't really know if discs will exist in this new series or not (masks might be made differently -- MOCr is, apparently, solid gold and magic if I'm remembering correctly?). A lot of masks were generally used as plot points and some of the later powers were sort of abstract (like Jaller's great mask)... though, either way, I figure some old masks and abilities will return -- likely the less abstract ones (when, I dunno). But like, an amnesiac dark hunter isn't so much a reference as it would be... kind of a major thing to introduce? Like, that's a whole new civilization you're putting back into the world. Referencing Dark Hunters would likely go more along the lines of old myths, or legends, about beings who did what they did versus having one wash up out of the blue one day.

References are like, little homages to the original story that fit within the new story without causing conflicts. A lot of those suggestions aren't really references and seem a lot more like story points, like development to the world itself, which I feel the new story should do on its own so we don't fall into the same situations, world, and story as the one we were already told.

[King of Nynrah]

I sort of see what you mean, but that's a lot of references to cram into one year. Is it a good idea to get all of those little Easter Eggs out in one year, though? There'd be none left for other years. Right now, it seems like they're taking care of 2001-2003. Besides, cramming each and every reference into just one year would not only require a lot of media detracting from the main story, but... honestly, it would cheapen a lot of it. Part of what I loved about BIONICLE was the slow but ultimately mind-blowing progression from one city being in danger (I got into the story in 2004 as well), to realizing that there are bigger forces than the Toa and Teridax at play, to having to save the universe... The effect of the Visorak webbing only had value in the original story because they devoted the whole tone and theme to it, and progressed up to it by setting the city up as something that was once majestic but got corrupted, just like the Toa. If you just make a village covered in the webbing, it loses all that. It becomes an Easter Egg.

Yeah. While I wouldn't mind them retreading old ground (CCBS remakes of the Bohrok or Phantoka would be awesome) I guess it depends on where they want to go with it. It's pretty obvious that they're starting on 2001 again, but whether it will go straight to the 2002 story with Bohrok, or somewhere new entirely, is anyone's guess. If they went somewhere new with it, I'd rather have easter eggs than none of the old stuff at all.

[BFN]

Yeah. While I wouldn't mind them retreading old ground (CCBS remakes of the Bohrok or Phantoka would be awesome) I guess it depends on where they want to go with it. It's pretty obvious that they're starting on 2001 again, but whether it will go straight to the 2002 story with Bohrok, or somewhere new entirely, is anyone's guess. If they went somewhere new with it, I'd rather have easter eggs than none of the old stuff at all.

Oh, I'm sure there'll be Easter Eggs. They're about the easiest thing a writer can do. That's why I'm really more worried about the tone of the story, theme, and characters than anything else. :P

Edited October 1, 2014 by BFN

[Grima]

(CCBS remakes of the Bohrok or Phantoka would be awesome)

On the contrary, CCBS remakes of the Bohrok would be terrible, unless they're willing to introduce enough new pieces to make them fold up into perfect balls like the originals. If they can't do that, they're missing one of the Bohrok's most memorable features. I think the Bohrok should be left the perfect sets they were while this line goes in new directions.

[Bigger Fish]

I just noticed that Gali's box art is the only to a box art that doesn't have the LOSS in the background. Maybe because it can't swim?

[Still Raindrop]

I like the idea of little nods (even though I think the Mask of Creation, despite its possible differences, really is such a nod). I do hope we see more as the years go by, or even this year--at this point, with so little story information (and even less verified info), it's hard to know what kind of nods there will be. Out of curiosity (as always, I'm not trying to be hostile; in this case I'm genuinely curious), do you happen to have the quote where Greg hints that this is a different Mask of Creation (which, again, would still count as a nod or reference in my book)?

Edited October 1, 2014 by Mariko

[somelegothings_]

This conversation is silly in my point of view, aren't you all fans of the same material? Instead of degrading a member like a disgusting community can't you value the opinion of your peers? We aren't children here. Contradicting everything anyone says doesn't make you right, it just makes you an megablocks. Y'all are here for the same reasons, and that's being fans of something you've been a huge part of since whenever Bionicle started. This is not how I expected to see you all act in a seemingly civil conversation that is blowing out of proportion. Now, I'll be back in the Licensed Forums doing something more or less productive. Probably the latter. Behave yourselves because you all like the same things.

[VBBN]

Attention

Having a sensible argument is one thing, however this has gone completely out of control. You can state your opinions, however attacking other members, derailing the thread, and creating a negative atmosphere will not be tolerated. The argument ends here- I will be forced to take further action if I see such actions happen again.

Thanks

VBBN

[Mandate]

This conversation is silly in my point of view, aren't you all fans of the same material? Instead of degrading a member like a disgusting community can't you value the opinion of your peers? We aren't children here. Contradicting everything anyone says doesn't make you right, it just makes you an megablocks. Y'all are here for the same reasons, and that's being fans of something you've been a huge part of since whenever Bionicle started. This is not how I expected to see you all act in a seemingly civil conversation that is blowing out of proportion. Now, I'll be back in the Licensed Forums doing something more or less productive. Probably the latter. Behave yourselves because you all like the same things.

EDIT: removing this because it could start another argument now that I think of it

Edited October 1, 2014 by JayWalker

[Bill Wilson]

The flight plan I just filed lists me, my men, the mod here, and ALL WHO ARE CIVIL (all joking aside, thanks VBBN).

Edited October 1, 2014 by Bill Wilson

[Vinyl Scratch]

I just noticed that Gali's box art is the only to a box art that doesn't have the LOSS in the background. Maybe because it can't swim?

Wait what.

...

I'm ashamed to admit I never saw that LOSS was in every background sans Gali...

[DuckBricks]

So...Okoto?, sounds wierd to me, (I know it sounds japanese, but it doesn't mean it can't be wierd...)

For some reason I instantly thought of Okoth the trader from MNOLG2...

At this point, I'm basically counting the typed packet as the real deal...

Edited October 1, 2014 by legozebra

[Clone 01354 Productions]

I guess that a remake would be rather silly. The major factor that made Bionicle so great and memorable was the surprising twists in the story, like the fact that they were INSIDE OF A HUGE ROBOT?! So following that same storyline would ruin it.

Now, that being said, the New Bionicle needs to have massive twists in the story, but they need to be different enough from the original so that it doesn't feel like a remake, but also need to have the same effect on the story.

As much as I love the Metru, and the Inika, I guess that they won't be returning. Let's just hope that Lego makes characters just as good as Vakama, Jaller, and all of the rest.

[Sir Walter Maugham]

Oh ho ho ho ho. Now that was a fun read.

Ahem... Anyway, those leaked... pamphlets(?) pretty much remove any doubt that this will be a remake/reboot. Which makes me happy.

I just noticed that Gali's box art is the only to a box art that doesn't have the LOSS in the background. Maybe because it can't swim?

Makes sense to me.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Sir Walter Maugham

[Jetrax99]

Oh ho ho ho ho. Now that was a fun read.

Ahem... Anyway, those leaked... pamphlets(?) pretty much remove any doubt that this will be a remake/reboot. Which makes me happy.

Makes sense to me.

But there's a skull spider swimming right in front of her.

[InfurnallDragon]

Wait what.

...

I'm ashamed to admit I never saw that LOSS was in every background sans Gali...

I wanted to point it out earlier but I think I failed to. This mainly makes me believe Lords of Skull Spiders are a class in the spider species- some sort of overseers maybe.

Also: some species of spider do swim. Someone's gotta MoC the Lord of Water Spiders.

Also something about LOSS' box artwork: you can see spiderwebs all over the strange caverns he is in. One of them, in the center towards the top, has a small, non-humanoid bulge on it. Before the LOSS and in the center of his web is his golden mask. It is plausible that there are multiple masks if there are multiple Lords of Skull Spiders.

Edit: error in describing web location

And there is another one down, and to the left of that one. It looks kind of like the web could just be denser there, but the top one isnt very flat and has a curve like the mask. The two major opponents of this multiple mask theory are of course: the really good one that the LOSS' mask is actually a form of the MoCr ala Inika; they are just spiders conveniently dead center in the webs like the mask is.

Edited October 1, 2014 by InfurnallDragon

[TheGreatSpirit]

Something of interest is that the skull spider that comes with Pohatu has a stinger. Huh

I also noticed that Kopaka's shield spins... not sure what I think about that, but at least they are using a friction pin.

[InfurnallDragon]

Something of interest is that the skull spider that comes with Pohatu has a stinger. Huh

I also noticed that Kopaka's shield spins... not sure what I think about that, but at least they are using a friction pin.

Well at least we can kinda see a hand behind the shield, so he has 2 unlike Furno XL who looked more like he had his shield built into his wrist with that more classic BIONICLE hand-style piece.

Edited October 1, 2014 by InfurnallDragon

[Bill Wilson]

The Skull Spiders seem interesting. Do you think they are going to be similar to the Bohrok and Visorak?