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Bionicle 2016 Story Discussion & Rumors

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BIONICLE G2 is playing much, much more similarly to G1 than HF. I don't see that happening tbh.

But I fear it will :/

As I said, it's not a perfect comparison. But the fact remains that LEGO had no problem with recycling the same heroes, without any shakeup, for three years of Hero Factory (2011-2013.) In fact, LEGO originally planned for the Inika/Mahri to complete the Ignition Saga. Similarly, it seems that Mata Nui, Ackar, and Kiina would have gone continued through 2011, had BIONICLE not been canceled.

Edited by Quisoves Pugnat

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The problem lies with 2017 being set up to be the "final battle" After 2016 the last great mask is the MoUP, which probably means Makuta making his ultimate move. It's the Toa's destiny to defeat Makuta and whatnot, it just wouldn't feel right if another team did it.

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The second bin looks more like a spiked vine to me. Perhaps it's a hint that next year will take place in the wild?

Seems to me more like it's the vines that were seen in the picture of the forge here. So hard to tell if it's foreshadowing or just a sign of Ekimu having to clean up a little before he could reforge the Toa's masks.

How do we know there will actually be new 2017 Toa (or new versions of the current ones)? There weren't any in 2003.

2003 was an exception, I think. The Toa Nuva's release came very late in 2002. Additionally, from what I've heard, sales in 2003 were hurt by the lack of new Toa (and by other ways the LEGO Group failed to keep up with demand).

Really, it's just common sense to have new Toa sets available every year, because most stores want to stock as much new product as possible, and having to keep old sets in stock for more than a year gives them less space to do so. So after a year they do their best to clear out whatever they have left, and if there aren't new Toa out to replace the old ones then that means no Toa in stock at all. Which means the characters in the forefront of the story would suddenly just be distracting buyers from the current sets, the ones the theme NEEDS to promote in order to continue.

Everybody seems to worry new Toa every year will make Bionicle feel like Hero Factory, but anybody who knows the first thing about the toy industry should be able to tell that keeping the main characters on shelves year after year is one of the biggest things Hero Factory did right. Transformers does it. My Little Pony does it. Barbie does it. Ninjago does it. This isn't coincidence, it's a valuable lesson that toy companies learned from years of experience. And "swimming against the flow" just to stand out isn't brave or revolutionary in this scenario, it's just ignorant.

With all the trilogy talk I'm 99% sure we'll be having the classic squad in 2017. But I really hope they're not gonna shelf us new forms by then. Two transformations in a row feels unnatural. It took 6 years to get the Mistika/Phantoka, and it wasn't even worth it.

The fact that it took so long to get the Mistika/Phantoka, without any intermediate designs in between to help transition the sets from their 2002 to 2008 forms, is half the reason the sets were so poorly received in the first place! If the Phantoka/Mistika had been new forms for the Toa Mahri that most closely resembled them, do you honestly think there would have been nearly as much bickering about their designs? But instead the Phantoka/Mistika sets came out after many of the original Nuva elements had been retired and the Bionicle theme's construction style and aesthetic (as well as kids' tastes) had experienced six years of change. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody that their designs had more in common with the sets that immediately preceded them than with the previous, long-obsolete versions of the characters they were supposed to be.

Not to mention, Bionicle G1 came up with all kinds of elaborate or contrived excuses for every single new character design. Random mutations, magical transformations, etc. Bionicle G2 can definitely take a simpler approach if it needs to. LEGO Ninjago's four original main characters have each had at least eleven different minifigure designs in just five years. How? The same way as anyone in real life changes their look — they literally just change their clothes for different situations (plus, sure, two or three magical transformations to spice things up). This isn't really all that different from how Hero Factory handled things, just less mechanized.

There's no reason Bionicle G2 can't just give the Toa new masks, armor, and weapons for new quests. All it'll take to keep it from becoming routine is to come up with new explanations of where that armor comes from and what it's for. Maybe the Toa find ancient magical armor sealed in an underground vault, like Exo-Toa from 2002 except without so much of a disconnect between the armor's size and usefulness. Maybe they receive magical armor from Ekimu that lets them channel ancient elemental spirits. Maybe they build their own new armor in a cave, with a box of scraps! :tongue: New designs won't feel so contrived if the explanation for them isn't so overwrought in the first place.

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I love the idea of having the toa return for a third time in new forms! I wouldn't have an issue with Bionicle ending then if it did. It'd be sad, but man, we've had such awesome sets released...it's worth it.

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The problem lies with 2017 being set up to be the "final battle" After 2016 the last great mask is the MoUP, which probably means Makuta making his ultimate move. It's the Toa's destiny to defeat Makuta and whatnot, it just wouldn't feel right if another team did it.

I think the only way to keep Bionicle G2 storyline until 2018 and longer is when the Toa's almost successfully get the MoUP, suddenly somebody stole the mask and take the mask out from Okoto and the Toa's forced to go out from Okoto to find it.

With story like that, the Bionicle G2 universe can be expanded and keep the story fresh and less repetitive.

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I would honestly be sad after BIONICLE comes to an end (again) but like lambda said...it has been great. The sets that we have gotten (at least for me) made me feel like a kid again. All I can do is thank LEGO for bringing back my childhood to life. Anyway back on topic, I feel that the toa should stay the same, while I would still like to see new set versions of say jaller takua or whatnot, it feels that this team must accomplish THEIR destiny. So far this year has been duty, next is ovbiously unity, and the toa must accomplish their destiny. But honestly, I think the sotry can still be expanded sfter this three years, just look at the metru storyline.

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I think the only way to keep Bionicle G2 storyline until 2018 and longer is when the Toa's almost successfully get the MoUP, suddenly somebody stole the mask and take the mask out from Okoto and the Toa's forced to go out from Okoto to find it.

With story like that, the Bionicle G2 universe can be expanded and keep the story fresh and less repetitive.

*cough* Ignika quest *cough*

In all seriousness, I feel two years would be an alright amount for a quest like that. The question is how do we top the MoUP? The Mask of Time?

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*cough* Ignika quest *cough*

In all seriousness, I feel two years would be an alright amount for a quest like that. The question is how do we top the MoUP? The Mask of Time?

I can already imagine that year...~~ "oh great work toa! We finnaly defeated makuta and have the MoUP!" *makuta weakened grabs kanohi vahi* *reverses time* "oh no, now you have to work all over again to defeat, but this time I know what to avoid from your attacks! Yay! More storyrline!"

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Destroying the MoUP could be expanded into a year's worth of story all on its own. The thing seems to have a mind of its own and it possesses power over all six elements. It'd take some serious work to keep the Hobbits Toa from getting roasted, drowned, choked, crushed and who knows what else while trying to destroy the mask.

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Destroying the MoUP could be expanded into a year's worth of story all on its own. The thing seems to have a mind of its own and it possesses power over all six elements. It'd take some serious work to keep the Hobbits Toa from getting roasted, drowned, choked, crushed and who knows what else while trying to destroy the mask.

I don't want a story like that, because a story of figure out how to destroy a mask for a whole year just feel very boring and repetitive. i would like if somebody wear the MoUP and fully unleash it's power ; The Toa's fight the guy who wearing the MoUP and destroy the MoUP in the fight.

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i am unsure how the masks of Creation and Control work but mask of Time is time travel and the Mask of Ultimate Power seems to have all 6 toa elements rolled into one imagine if we have a sort of Infinity War deal where an overarching big bad is looking for such powerful masks to forge into one super mask to take over the world and such.

it can be a good way to keep the story going, each year showcases a new legendary mask a bad guy wants to steal and such and in a grand finale they would showcase the MoUP (if sapient) to steal all those legendary masks to become the a great final boss to take down.

MoUP can be this generation's Story Engine that way! especially since from what i seen they haven't shown it to have a finalized design unlike MoCr and MoCo making me think it's a purely conceptual plot point like mata nui is. if i am making sense.

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i am unsure how the masks of Creation and Control work but mask of Time is time travel and the Mask of Ultimate Power seems to have all 6 toa elements rolled into one imagine if we have a sort of Infinity War deal where an overarching big bad is looking for such powerful masks to forge into one super mask to take over the world and such.

it can be a good way to keep the story going, each year showcases a new legendary mask a bad guy wants to steal and such and in a grand finale they would showcase the MoUP (if sapient) to steal all those legendary masks to become the a great final boss to take down.

MoUP can be this generation's Story Engine that way! especially since from what i seen they haven't shown it to have a finalized design unlike MoCr and MoCo making me think it's a purely conceptual plot point like mata nui is. if i am making sense.

I've liked the idea that the MoUP is the true big bad from Day 1, and having the MoUP be stealing the masks over time until it becomes its own entity in the end would make some pretty interesting story. The main issue is not making it feel too repetitive and being able to mix things up a little (Like the Toa occasionally getting some masks that get stolen from them later.)

Makes me wonder what Legendary Masks they can come up with. We have the Masks of Creation, Control, and Time so far; some ideas I have include those for more universal forces like Light, Gravity, etc. and more magical things like Spirit, Magic, etc.

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Yeah, don't think anything of LoSS being on the cover, it's a solicitation cover and those are always weird. The one for Island of Doom had an image of Takanuva from the fight with Makuta in Mask of Light.

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Not sure whether its a placeholder, but would make more sense if it wasnt a placeholder.

Thinking about this in terms of it being a planned three-year story;

- 2015;

introduces the Toa with memory loss

toa get golden masks

toa revive ekimu and defeat Skull Grinder

gain mask of creation

- 2016

reveals they remember where they came from, Mata Nui

toa team-up with creatures

toa defeat Umarak

gain mask of control

- 2017

explanation for what is up with G2 and G1 similarities

Makuta gains mask of ultimate power

toa defeat Makuta

toa gain mask of time

toa returning to Mata Nui

Edited by Scarilian

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Oh my god you guys they use the Ignika as a logo, G1 and G2 must be connected!

Oh, sorry, I thought this was 2014. My bad.

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Oh my god you guys they use the Ignika as a logo, G1 and G2 must be connected!

Oh, sorry, I thought this was 2014. My bad.

Yeah, i'm tired of people making this connection just because some preliminary art used it as a placeholder. G2 probably won't ever be connected to G1's story because it has been said numerous times that G1's complicated and convoluted story was the reason it got cancelled. There's no reason to scrap a line for five years and overhaul it from the ground up only to reconnect it with what came before. Here's a good analogy- it's like if you walked into an Apple store tomorrow and they where selling Apple IIs in place of Macbooks. They can reference them and recognize their past, sure, but dragging in old and outdated product isn't realistic.

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Oh my god you guys they use the Ignika as a logo, G1 and G2 must be connected!

Oh, sorry, I thought this was 2014. My bad.

Yeah, i'm tired of people making this connection just because some preliminary art used it as a placeholder. G2 probably won't ever be connected to G1's story because it has been said numerous times that G1's complicated and convoluted story was the reason it got cancelled. There's no reason to scrap a line for five years and overhaul it from the ground up only to reconnect it with what came before. Here's a good analogy- it's like if you walked into an Apple store tomorrow and they where selling Apple IIs in place of Macbooks. They can reference them and recognize their past, sure, but dragging in old and outdated product isn't realistic.

I agree that it is still true that Gen 1 and Gen 2 are unconnected. But the difference this time is that they have lots of Okoto art they could have used there. So the use of Mata Nui instead is much more strange than the Ignika on the 2015 prelim boxes.

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Yeah, i'm tired of people making this connection just because some preliminary art used it as a placeholder.

As far as I recall, the Ignika image was quite quickly dismissed as a placeholder (we had our first glimpse of the final MoC as early as September, no?) Virtually all such speculation came from the Mask of Time-things.

Frankly, I don't see how this is equivalent. This is a rather finalized-looking promotional poster, not an early boxart-prelim. More to the point, there seems to be no need to use Mata Nui as a stand-in, when images of Okoto already exist.

Which is not to say that this indicates a connection between the two canons. But it does seem to carry significance.

Say, do we know where the large version of the poster came from?

it's like if you walked into an Apple store tomorrow and they where selling Apple IIs in place of Macbooks.

Oh, but a man can dream... =P

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G2 probably won't ever be connected to G1's story because it has been said numerous times that G1's complicated and convoluted story was the reason it got cancelled.

Every time I see someone saying that, I giggle a little. Here in Europe we had little to no story material aside from the commercials.

The story was pretty basic throughout the whole saga: bad guys vs good guys. BIONICLE decayed mostly because it wasn't a novelty anymore, markets changed and LEGO slowly shifted its focus on other themes. The plot had little impact on sales outside the subscribers of BZPower.

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