Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[Rayskull]

Just noting you replied to the wrong person, GK733 deserves the credit for the LDD designs :3

Ooops

[GK733]

Thanks guys, really appreciate! I'm trying to think the sets like a designer would. And I'm becoming worried that these may not include much of new parts or even recolors. Possibly couple of new recolored transbones, but basicly I feel the new we are getting are just masks and 1 or 2 new weapons. Instead of new molds the budget is rather used to include more parts. Of course I'm open for surprises. Can't really wait for Toy Fair.

[Agent Fusion]

I can't wait either. Hopefully each member of the Skull Clan is an actual character, rather than a generic warrior.

[DraikNova]

I can't wait either. Hopefully each member of the Skull Clan is an actual character, rather than a generic warrior.

Really? I kind of hope that it's the opposite. A mere six villains (not counting the by then presumably defeated LoSS) against six heroes can work, but not if the heroes are as powerful as their golden masks will likely make them. I'd prefer for the Skull Slicer and Skull Warrior sets to represent the vast bulk of an army, with the Basher and Scorpio acting either as what tvtropes calls "the Dragon" to the Skull Grinder or as elite troops. The Skull Scorpio could also work if it was basically a normal creature that had been skull-ified, kind of like the original Nui-Jaga having infected kanohi.

Rysgrynsgrot, does the Scorpio have a pair of claws in addition to it's six legs?

Edited January 17, 2015 by DraikNova

[GK733]

Really? I kind of hope that it's the opposite. A mere six villains (not counting the by then presumably defeated LoSS) against six heroes can work, but not if the heroes are as powerful as their golden masks will likely make them. I'd prefer for the Skull Slicer and Skull Warrior sets to represent the vast bulk of an army, with the Basher and Scorpio acting either as what tvtropes calls "the Dragon" to the Skull Grinder or as elite troops. The Skull Scorpio could also work if it was basically a normal creature that had been skull-ified, kind of like the original Nui-Jaga having infected kanohi.

Rysgrynsgrot, does the Scorpio have a pair of claws in addition to it's six legs?

That's the exact thing why I gave it two skullmasks, hoping that this thing is an homage to Nui-Jaga. It would also give us some change to see wildlife on Okoto... because we haven't seen a single fish or bird yet.

[Phantoka_Chirox]

I just hope they won't give us the same mask for everyone. Especially if said mask is just another skull spider or even Witch Doctor's helmet (doubtful since we got new heads).

[Agent Fusion]

Really? I kind of hope that it's the opposite. A mere six villains (not counting the by then presumably defeated LoSS) against six heroes can work, but not if the heroes are as powerful as their golden masks will likely make them. I'd prefer for the Skull Slicer and Skull Warrior sets to represent the vast bulk of an army, with the Basher and Scorpio acting either as what tvtropes calls "the Dragon" to the Skull Grinder or as elite troops. The Skull Scorpio could also work if it was basically a normal creature that had been skull-ified, kind of like the original Nui-Jaga having infected kanohi.

Rysgrynsgrot, does the Scorpio have a pair of claws in addition to it's six legs?

I know what you mean, but it's been a while since we've had constraction characters with actual personality (not counting Chima).

[DraikNova]

That's not completely true. The personalities of Evo, Nex (in the two episodes he appeared), Stringer and to a lesser degree Rocka fluctuated enormously over the course of the Hero Factory storyline. However, Furno, Breez and Stormer each had distinct personalities. Stormer had a definite protective yet cynical tendencies, and almost seemed to have been suffering from depression during Rise of the Rookies. Furno seemed to be a generic, eager-to-please/prove himself type of hero, which may count as less of a personality, depending on whether you consider the character archetype automatically bad or think it exists for a reason. Breez was protective towards the other heroes, but less cynical than Stormer. Optimistic but not stupid, and acted as a voice of reason to the rest of the team. Surge got very little screen time, making it hard to gauge his personality.

Back on topic, I didn't see your Scorpio attempt, GK733, but I'm going to go look for it now. Also, I agree on the wildlife thing. That's what really appealed to me about the original BIONICLE, the incredible amount of background world-building. And adding wildlife doesn't complicate a story needlessly either.

That's the exact thing why I gave it two skullmasks, hoping that this thing is an homage to Nui-Jaga. It would also give us some change to see wildlife on Okoto... because we haven't seen a single fish or bird yet.

EDIT: found it, and I've noticed two things. First of all, shouldn't the Skull Basher have a hammer? Second of all, the Scorpio seems a little small and squashed, and from the small amount I can see of it's frame, it seems rather technic-intensive. I'd guess that the Scorpio probably just uses a normal torso of the longest size with a Waspix connector for the third pair of limbs. If it has claws, I think they might use two Waspix connectors so that they can add the claws to the balljoints normally used for a characters legs.

Edited January 17, 2015 by DraikNova

[Scarilian]

Thanks guys, really appreciate! I'm trying to think the sets like a designer would. And I'm becoming worried that these may not include much of new parts or even recolors. Possibly couple of new recolored transbones, but basicly I feel the new we are getting are just masks and 1 or 2 new weapons. Instead of new molds the budget is rather used to include more parts. Of course I'm open for surprises. Can't really wait for Toy Fair.

I kind of agree, with parts i've gotten recently from a couple of Chima Ultra Builds and Bionicle 2015 sets i've managed to recreate Skull Slicer, Skull Grinder and the Mask Maker with only some minor colour's missing. The easiest to replicate being Skull Grinder who is essentially a Tahu colour swap. My hope is that Skull Scorpio has a much more technic build and the recoloured pieces will be nice.

I'm guessing they exhausted their new parts count as as such we wont get many more new pieces other than masks, prints, weapons and recolours this Summer. Though by 2016 we should see another batch of new pieces that will hopefully help move the sets more towards the complex Bionicle astethic.

I just hope they won't give us the same mask for everyone. Especially if said mask is just another skull spider or even Witch Doctor's helmet (doubtful since we got new heads).

I'm pretty sure they all have seperate masks, or atleast varied masks as part of the descriptions listed recently stated that Skull Basher had horns which implies that that its a varied mask.

I believe the general theory is that Skull Grinder has the Summer mask we've seen,

[GK733]

EDIT: found it, and I've noticed two things. First of all, shouldn't the Skull Basher have a hammer? Second of all, the Scorpio seems a little small and squashed, and from the small amount I can see of it's frame, it seems rather technic-intensive. I'd guess that the Scorpio probably just uses a normal torso of the longest size with a Waspix connector for the third pair of limbs. If it has claws, I think they might use two Waspix connectors so that they can add the claws to the balljoints normally used for a characters legs.

Didn't Risgrysngrot (sorry if I misspelleld, but it really is not easy to write he's name) that basher had a hammer or either a battleaxe? I choose battleaxe because it would give him difference to Onua. And about the scorpion, yes it might look squashed but it's

mostly due to the perspective.

Edit: I completely forgot the horns, oops. Anyways, not going to redo these before Toy Fair.

Edited January 17, 2015 by GK733

[DraikNova]

I'm guessing they exhausted their new parts count as as such we wont get many more new pieces other than masks, prints, weapons and recolours this Summer. Though by 2016 we should see another batch of new pieces that will hopefully help move the sets more towards the complex Bionicle astethic.

Personally, I can't really understand why people think the CCBS is less complex. I've found it far easier to build complex and large designs with it than with the old system. Unlike the CCBS, the "traditional" system would only allow you to make large MOCs (with a reasonable amount of freedom) if you bought both Bionicle and Technic sets. And then there's the added bonus that large CCBS MOCs can be made hollow while still retaining a reasonable amount of strength. I'm pretty sure that my Dragon Bolt MOC (which I still haven't gotten around to finishing) is at least twice the size of Kardas, and it's just slightly too heavy (but mostly just too wide) to hold in one hand. And the supposedly more complex aesthetic of Bionicle always looked messy and unfinished to me. It doesn't make sense from an in-universe perspective either. If you're going to design robots for a multi-millenia job, why not cover their internals with a plastic (not metal, corrosion would be a death sentence) casing to prevent dust and grime from getting in and mucking up the systems? Edited January 17, 2015 by DraikNova

[Rayskull]

Thanks guys, really appreciate! I'm trying to think the sets like a designer would. And I'm becoming worried that these may not include much of new parts or even recolors. Possibly couple of new recolored transbones, but basicly I feel the new we are getting are just masks and 1 or 2 new weapons. Instead of new molds the budget is rather used to include more parts. Of course I'm open for surprises. Can't really wait for Toy Fair.

New trans parts would be welcome. I'm hoping we still get two masks per box... I just hope I like the second mask too.

[Agent Fusion]

That's not completely true. The personalities of Evo, Nex (in the two episodes he appeared), Stringer and to a lesser degree Rocka fluctuated enormously over the course of the Hero Factory storyline. However, Furno, Breez and Stormer each had distinct personalities. Stormer had a definite protective yet cynical tendencies, and almost seemed to have been suffering from depression during Rise of the Rookies. Furno seemed to be a generic, eager-to-please/prove himself type of hero, which may count as less of a personality, depending on whether you consider the character archetype automatically bad or think it exists for a reason. Breez was protective towards the other heroes, but less cynical than Stormer. Optimistic but not stupid, and acted as a voice of reason to the rest of the team. Surge got very little screen time, making it hard to gauge his personality.

Sorry, I meant Constraction Villains. For the past few years it's been "Legion of angry aliens" and not much else.

But, yes, you are right. Up until Brain Attack, most of the heroes had their own recognisable personalities, which is why I can't stand it when people say that all Hero Factory characters are cookie cutter good guys.

On the subject of new parts, I too doubt we are going to get many new parts this summer. Besides new masks, I expect a new armour add on and a new weapon mould, at most.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Agent Fusion

[Scarilian]

Personally, I can't really understand why people think the CCBS is less complex. I've found it far easier to build complex and large designs with it than with the old system. Unlike the CCBS, the "traditional" system would only allow you to make large MOCs (with a reasonable amount of freedom) if you bought both Bionicle and Technic sets. And then there's the added bonus that large CCBS MOCs can be made hollow while still retaining a reasonable amount of strength. I'm pretty sure that my Dragon Bolt MOC (which I still haven't gotten around to finishing) is at least twice the size of Kardas, and it's just slightly too heavy (but mostly just too wide) to hold in one hand. And the supposedly more complex aesthetic of Bionicle always looked messy and unfinished to me. It doesn't make sense from an in-universe perspective either. If you're going to design robots for a multi-millenia job, why not cover their internals with a plastic layer to prevent dust and grime from getting in and mucking up the systems?

Was not a complaint against the system, just how TLG currently chooses to use the system. Though i do have my own issues with how the most complex and technic inspired set that uses the CCBS effectively we seem to be getting this year is Lord Of Skull Spiders. I know the CCBS system can be used to create amazing things, however currently it hasnt been used as effectively.

By complex astethic i meant pieces like the new gold/silver/white armour pieces, weapons and masks. Varying pieces that help differentiate it from the other CCBS lines we've had in the past. An example being Onua who has a very similar general look to CHI Gorzan if you were to not add his chest sticker and weapons/should piece.

As such i get the feeling we'll get more pieces each year to help further move the general look of the sets to being more recogniseable as Bionicle and differentiating it more from what we've had before even if the basic build is still the same.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Scarilian

[Clone 01354 Productions]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who wants Makuta to become un-corrupted. (Someone said it a while back, but I cant find the quote.) The MOUP, from what we could tell, is the ultimate evil, an I have a theory that will blow you away:

What if the MOUP holds the conscious of Teridax? The story could be that Teridax's spirit (or whatever he has) went into this mask, which is why it is so corrupted and seemingly sentient. And that is why the mask corrupted Okoto Makuta--because Teridax found his alternate-dimension form, and he's trying to return!!

And it is possible: say that Teridax survived the Mata Nui battle, moved to another dimension, so the same Toa who fought him have arrived to stop him again. At least it would give the Toa a reason to care about Okoto.

Either I just came up with the best idea, or the most absurd idea. What do you think?

Edited January 17, 2015 by LN-01354

[CabooseBM]

Was not a complaint against the system, just how TLG currently chooses to use the system. Though i do have my own issues with how the most complex and technic inspired set that uses the CCBS effectively we seem to be getting this year is Lord Of Skull Spiders. I know the CCBS system can be used to create amazing things, however currently it hasnt been used as effectively.

By complex astethic i meant pieces like the new gold/silver/white armour pieces, weapons and masks. Varying pieces that help differentiate it from the other CCBS lines we've had in the past. An example being Onua who has a very similar general look to CHI Gorzan if you were to not add his chest sticker and weapons/should piece.

As such i get the feeling we'll get more pieces each year to help further move the general look of the sets to being more recogniseable as Bionicle and differentiating it more from what we've had before even if the basic build is still the same.

Personally, I'd prefer more functional new pieces like new shell shapes or bone types over detail stuff like the piston add-on. We haven't got much of that since Breakout, so I've been hankering for more.

[DraikNova]

Personally, I'd prefer more functional new pieces like new shell shapes or bone types over detail stuff like the piston add-on. We haven't got much of that since Breakout, so I've been hankering for more.

Yeah. Even a simple piece to allow for axle-based stuff to connect to shells (think of the way Breakout Rocka had his shield attached in the episode) would be more appreciated than another add-on. A three-way bone connector piece would also be useful, although I can't think of a way that a set would use such a piece. I think there's a topic for this sort of stuff hidden somewhere in the depths of this board, though, so I'll stop my rambling.

-text-

Maybe the mask will be named Teridax? I can't see LEGO making it more than just an in-joke, though.

Edited January 17, 2015 by DraikNova

[Quisoves Pugnat]

By complex astethic i meant pieces like the new gold/silver/white armour pieces, weapons and masks. Varying pieces that help differentiate it from the other CCBS lines we've had in the past. An example being Onua who has a very similar general look to CHI Gorzan if you were to not add his chest sticker and weapons/should piece.

Really?

The only thing they have in common is the chest-piece.

Just about everything else is different. Gorzan looks like a standard humanoid with Gorilla-features grafted on. Onua looks like a biomechanical earth golem.

[Dorek]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who wants Makuta to become un-corrupted. (Someone said it a while back, but I cant find the quote.) The MOUP, from what we could tell, is the ultimate evil, an I have a theory that will blow you away:

What if the MOUP holds the conscious of Teridax? The story could be that Teridax's spirit (or whatever he has) went into this mask, which is why it is so corrupted and seemingly sentient. And that is why the mask corrupted Okoto Makuta--because Teridax found his alternate-dimension form, and he's trying to return!!

And it is possible: say that Teridax survived the Mata Nui battle, moved to another dimension, so the same Toa who fought him have arrived to stop him again. At least it would give the Toa a reason to care about Okoto.

Either I just came up with the best idea, or the most absurd idea. What do you think?

Neither :U. Just another bizarre attempt to connect the two universes.

Personally, I don't particularly want Makuta to find "redemption" of any sort. It would be a nice divergence from his Generation 1 counterpart, but one of the strengths of the old story was the constant villain. Makuta was always there and when he wasn't there, it was suspicious. Obviously the MOUP contains some sort of corrupting influence, but much like the Teridax of Gen 1, it was Makuta's feelings of resentment and jealousy that caused him to lash out and do something bad.

I like to think there's more to Ekimu and Makuta's story than just "Ekimu was better", the same way Mata Nui turned out to be aloof and dispassionate, and not necessarily the benevolent god everybody thought he was.

[Bbrink1996]

I hear quite a few people talking about Toy Fair and that we will probably get pictures of the summer wave sets. Can someone tell when this Toy Fair will be happening so I know when to look for pictures?

As for Makuta, I think the MOUP corrupted him a lot and will probably remain the main villain throughout the new story. In the end they may save him from the corruption caused by the MOUP but it could also be that the mask corrupted him too much and that Makuta is just too far gone when they try too save him. Having the spirit of Teridax in the MOUP is something I would definitly want to see but is unlikely I think.

[DraikNova]

If Makuta stays the primary antagonist of the story, I hope that he eventually turns out to be either more evil than the MoUP (which could be the source for some grade-A terrified mask humor) or to not actually have been corrupted by the mask at all, having wanted to cause the destruction he did when he put the MoUP on anway.

[Mesonak]

I hear quite a few people talking about Toy Fair and that we will probably get pictures of the summer wave sets. Can someone tell when this Toy Fair will be happening so I know when to look for pictures?

London Toy Fair begins on January 20th, but photography is prohibited there and the people that are able to frequent the event don't tend to care a lot about constraction. At the very least, we'll get finalized names and prices.

Nuremberg Toy Fair begins on January 28th, and we do typically receive a good amount of coverage from this event. If history repeats itself, we'll see the sets here.

New York Toy Fair begins on February 14th. We're guaranteed extensive coverage of every theme here, so we'll see the sets from plenty of new angles.

[Agent Fusion]

I still like the idea of the MoUP being like Majora's Mask, in that it has a life of it's own. I would like the manipulative characteristics of Teridax being brought over, but I suppose only time will tell.

[Kingslayer]

I dont Makuta was such a saint before he put on the mask TBH. We have seen some of the most evil people in the world do the things they do because of jealously and Makuta might not be much of an exception. Maybe he didnt intend for the mask to control him the way it did, but he must have known at least partly what was going to happen. Im not saying I dont sympathize with him, but I doubt that he is going to become a saint when that mask comes off his face. Because really, then he is just a jealous little kid, and not a deviant sociopath. I would love some more deeper back story into what made him do it though. Was Ekimu the brother he could have been to prevent it? What did the villagers treat Makuta like? How long did it go on for? Imagine having to live 100,000 years listening to how great your brother is. I think I would have the right mind to whip the mask of Makutas face and put it on mine.

[Timeline15]

One has to wonder whether Makuta created the MoUP just to show up his brother's masks, or if he actually wanted to do something with all that power. He did put the mask on, suggesting he had more in mind than just making better masks than Ekimu.

However, the legend video did say that the mask took control over him after that, so it's hard to say just how far he actually intended to go. (and, indeed, whether the mask "controlling him" was just too much energy driving him berserk, or if it actually had a will of its own).