Bionicle 2016 Sets Discussion

[Shakar]

Still I doubt even him would mix green with brown and red.

Everything else is typical Huw and all that brings, however.

[TheDesuComplex]

Yeah, I am ashamed that Constraction never gets any love. Of course there is an anti-Constraction bias in the Lego community at large and here it is rearing its ugly head. I'm just holding out for TTV going to NYTF, as they should get some good info.

What I am wondering about is the reports that the wave mostly features Tr. Light Blue as an accent color on the Beasts and Umarak. What? I could have sworn it would be Tr. Neon Green from the prelims and that's a pretty big change. It's also pretty odd that Ekimu is nowhere to be seen, and that combined with people saying Umarak the Destroyer is the same is making me pretty suspicious.

[TheOneVeyronian]

That's...completely different than what we saw. Which means those were very, very early preliminary pictures.

And Umarak is 18 pounds, doesn't that mean he's Kopaka+Melum's price?

Nope! It's between Umarak TH's and Kopaka+Melum's price in the UK.

I'm a bit disappointed to see that the Bionicle coverage on Brickset is... not that good. Appears not even me trying to persuade one of the other reporters (who's a very, very good friend of mine) to pay more attention to Bionicle didn't really work when he wasn't going to write about them. Makes me wish I could have persuaded them to let me join them so I could give Constraction the love it deserves! I'm also hoping that he might have recalled the colours of Umarak TD wrong, because dark brown, dark red and trans-light blue sounds like it won't work at all. I prefer the prelims already

Hopefully some pictures from Nuremberg will put my fears about Umarak TD to rest.

Edited January 24, 2016 by TheOneVeyronian

[Shakar]

I actually find the colour scheme described there to be much more interesting than black+trans neon green, which honestly looks really boring to me. Plus it's closer to Umarak the Hunter's colours, light blue aside.

[TheOneVeyronian]

I actually find the colour scheme described there to be much more interesting than black+trans neon green, which honestly looks really boring to me. Plus it's closer to Umarak the Hunter's colours, light blue aside.

It's the trans-light blue that I don't really like the sound of as I'm not sure how well that's going to work with Dark Red and Dark Brown. I might have preferred trans-red or perhaps trans-yellow, but it's hard to make my mind up until I see the actual product. I'm on board for Dark Red and Dark Brown since we don't see those colours in CCBS too often. But given that Dark Brown can appear almost black in certain light settings, I wouldn't be surprised if he mistook Dark Brown for black perhaps?

[xboxtravis7992]

There are some really negative views towards Constraction showing up in the discussion thread on the Brickset article. I wrote a rebuttal, but it mysteriously disappeared when I posted (maybe it was to long?). So I figured I'd share my ideas here in brief;

I feel the online community has been on an anti-Bionicle soapbox since its debut 15 years ago. What I think few AFOLs (the old guard I'll say, like the early LUGnet guys) relieze is that Bionicle was an important Toy in many of our childhoods. In the same way older AFOLs love Classic Space, Pirates, and Castle; those of us borne in the mid 90's see Bionicle in the same regard. If Lego had never produced Bionicle or Lego Star Wars; I wouldn't have cared for Lego at all as a kid, and I never would have become an AFOL who loves Modular Buildings and Lego Trains.

The reason the Bionicle community is so invested in G2 (with very divided opinions) is because we see it in the same excitement as an AFOL who was born in the 70s would view a Classic Space revival. Bionicle touches a piece of our childhood, and we love seeing it on the shelves again.

Nerd rant over. Carry on. :)

Edited January 25, 2016 by xboxtravis7992

[YellowCorvette]

Similar to the description of the Summer Star Wars sets, the description of the Summer Bionicle sets is also a mixed pack for me. While I excited to see the final set for some of the sets, I'm very disappointed to hear the story been simplified for avoid confusion for kids. Yeah, this is possible, but I see some of other themes can manage to have a complex storyline without confused the younger fans so this isn't the most excusable answer.

And also what's up with the low coverage of the Constraction sets like HF and Bionicle sets in those Toy Fair? I know that there's only a few AFOL that are loving both Constraction and System sets, but this is totally ridiculous.

[TFGuy89]

I'll just say, I admire you old-time Bionicle fans for putting up with this attitude for so long. :D It's so dampening that I don't know how you guys do it.

Edited January 25, 2016 by TFGuy89

[TwistLaw]

I'll just say, I admire you old-time Bionicle fans for putting up with this attitude for so long. :D It's so dampening that I don't know how you guys do it.

Our love for BIONICLE is miles greater than the patience we have for ignorant people.

[MrHerofan]

I'll just say, I admire you old-time Bionicle fans for putting up with this attitude for so long. :D It's so dampening that I don't know how you guys do it.

Well at some point you get used to it. There is nothing wrong with people disliking a theme, but I've never noticed this many people not caring at all about it. While system is really good, they should be able to show some respect to constraction.

[DuckBricks]

I'll just say, I admire you old-time Bionicle fans for putting up with this attitude for so long. :D It's so dampening that I don't know how you guys do it.

Eh, the only time I get really annoyed at "standard" system fans is times like this, where Bionicle and other constraction themes is basically ignored. I'm not too concerned, though, because we will get pics in a few days even by the non-constraction fans as it's a lot easier to snap a few photos than write a full description on a theme you hardly know how to describe.

Edited January 25, 2016 by legozebra

[MakutaOfWar]

^Yeeeeeah didn't somebody say the Skull villains had tan pieces last year at one of these events? Curious as to how somebody describes something like that incorrectly.

[xboxtravis7992]

Yah! Toy Fair photos in a few days.

Soon we won't need Huw or the Brick Fanatic. We'll have officiall photos all for ourselves!

It is a little weird though that the winter wave takes forever for official photos, and two months later we have photos of the summer wave...

[santaends]

Wow the passion is real. I have never seen an organised group so indignant over being overlooked.. I feel you. How the heck did you guys still manage to stay on. Everything was well described. Yet Bionicle was given 2 lines of text. SW wasn't mentioned at all.

It feels like I'm an outsider, looking in instead of being part of you guys. Maybe because I never had G1 sets in my childhood. I can never understand but I feel for you.

[GK733]

Saying "I'm not an expert"

Is quite different to "I don't care about this theme at all so I don't even bother and don't give any attention to it"

It's just not that he hates Bionicle, it's also that he needs to go straight up lying to keep his reputation. That is downright disgusting behavior.

[Logan McOwen]

That Brickset description from Huw is pitiful. "More of the same"? Umurak is hardly very different? Really Huw? Good grief.

• We have a gargantuan figure with digitigrade legs, massive gold horns and clawed hands, who is an upgraded form to an earlier character.
  
• We have five new humanoid beasts with large jawed heads, different kinds of weaponry and Technic-based lower legs.
  
• And finally, we have an upgraded version of a previously very diminutive character, with a trans-light blue version of an important mask.
  

This "they're nothing that new or unique" angle would be like saying "oh look, more spaceships, what a surprise" about SW, or "wow, another police station, revolutionary" about City. It's just needless, unprofessional facetiousness.

As somebody who acts as a journalist for AFOLs, he could be at least somewhat impartial instead of going "I'm not an expert, so here's a really lacking overview with hardly any detail whatsoever, with an additional pinch of snark". That's just petty, and again very unprofessional. A lack of knowledge is no excuse for skimming over information a large portion of your readership will want to know, let alone being rude about it.

EDIT: Cartoon from BlueCel on the TTV forums

Edited January 25, 2016 by Logan McOwen

[Shakar]

^ Lol, that Storm Beast.

And. Let's not forget that time when he called the 2013 Chima Ultrabuilds "HORRIBLE" (in all caps).

Is he the site's owner? I remember he's been snarky about Ninjago in the past too, saying they're all the same without innovation.

Why doesn't he just leave the reporting on these disgusting inferior themes to someone else on his team, so he can focus on his beloved grey spaceships (see, I can do that too)? Or just say "There are five sets. I'll let other reporters write about those in detail". Or even nothing at all if you really can't hold your urge to snark.

[Logan McOwen]

I believe Huw is the head of camp at Brickset, yes. And I agree, having somebody else write about those themes would be much better than being a snarky wiseguy.

[Tahu136]

The simplified storyline could mean a lot of things. I don't think that the main storyline could be made more simple, so I guess that either side confused G2 being simpler than G1. I hope that's the case at least.

[Logan McOwen]

I don't think the story will be more simplified. I think the member of staff on the stand who said that to Barry meant it was simplified in comparison to G1.

[xboxtravis7992]

^ Lol, that Storm Beast.

Why doesn't he just leave the reporting on these disgusting inferior themes to someone else on his team, so he can focus on his beloved grey spaceships (see, I can do that too)? Or just say "There are five sets. I'll let other reporters write about those in detail". Or even nothing at all if you really can't hold your urge to snark.[/b][/color]

Admittedly Huw doesn't even focus on gray spaceships anymore he's handed all Star Wars reviews to other reviewers. Judging by the reviews he does; Huw is a huge Lego "traditionalist" as in the themes he cares about are often City, Technic, and Creator. He really ignores most other themes. I still admire him for the website he has put together; and admittedly his level of snark is more toned down than those on FBTB (who are snarky towards their favorite themes) and TTV (kings of snark again towards their favorite theme).

However I agree that for a Lego website aiming to be the #1 Lego database; giving Bionicle short coverage due to personal interests is infuriating. And the strange thing is Brickset has a lot of Staff and Associates who love Bionicle as much as we do. Capnrex101 has reviewed enough Star Wars Constraction sets, I think he has a bit more knowledge on CCBS than Huw; and he published (a little late) info on the upcoming Journey to One. TheBrickPal reviewed Tahu Uniter of Fire. And Mask Maker vs. Skull Grinder was chosen by one of the staff members as one of their favorites in the 2015 Holiday Guide.

So Brickset has Bionicle fans, its just Huw needs to make the effort to delegate responsibility to somebody else; instead of holding on to that responsibility and snarkiliy ignore it...

Edited January 25, 2016 by xboxtravis7992

[TheDesuComplex]

TheBrickPal reviewed Tahu Uniter of Fire.

Congrats to TheBrickPal for the recent addition, btw. He has been doing a pretty good job so far. I think part of the issue here is that Brickset doesn't have any constraction-inclined reporters in the UK that where able to attend and therefore the job was placed on Huw. It's not like they will bring along an extra person just to report on a single theme...

[xboxtravis7992]

Congrats to TheBrickPal for the recent addition, btw. He has been doing a pretty good job so far. I think part of the issue here is that Brickset doesn't have any constraction-inclined reporters in the UK that where able to attend and therefore the job was placed on Huw. It's not like they will bring along an extra person just to report on a single theme...

It's true. If TheBrickPal and Jangbricks were reporting New York Toy Fair; Bionicle would well be in the spotlight.

[TheOneVeyronian]

So Brickset has Bionicle fans, its just Huw needs to make the effort to delegate responsibility to somebody else; instead of holding on to that responsibility and snarkiliy ignore it...

Well said. I've met most of the UK based Brickset staff and they're all very nice people, but like you, I wish Huw would hand Bionicle reporting to somebody more knowledgeable.

Congrats to TheBrickPal for the recent addition, btw. He has been doing a pretty good job so far. I think part of the issue here is that Brickset doesn't have any constraction-inclined reporters in the UK that where able to attend and therefore the job was placed on Huw. It's not like they will bring along an extra person just to report on a single theme...

That's definitely part of the issue. Given I'm already a moderator on Brickset who is based in the UK and my speciality is Constraction and one of the UK reporters for Brickset is one of my best friends, and seeing that the Constraction community in general is in uproar about the lack of coverage, I may as well try and see if I can be a reporter for next year's LTF... after all, I live closer to where LTF takes place than any of Brickset's attendees!

Edited January 25, 2016 by TheOneVeyronian

[Ikaatril]

Something's bothering me - we know that the creatures give the Toa bonuses story-wise. Setwise, we can tell that Tahu and Lewa gain wings from the creatures, that Onua and Kopaka gain extra shoulder armour, and that Gali gains dual gatling guns... but set-wise, what in the world is Ketar supposed to add to Pohatu? Extremely unwieldy blades? Extremely unwieldy extra torso armour in the form of Ketar's legs?

Part of me thinks that Ketar was the first creature designed, before they came up with the unity gimmick, which would partially explain why the Pohatu+Ketar unity feels so forced.