Hero Factory 2012

[CabooseBM]

Perhaps in the final wave (and its assosciated comics/novels/cartoon) we could see Stormer retire or get promoted or something, leaving Furno to take control of Alpha team or a team of his own and then he could take command of the new rookies. I think it would help with taking the series full circle. But yeah, if it does end next year then I don't suppose having new Heroes would be as necessary than if the theme was set to continue idefinitely or even for just one more year of sets.

...You make a convincing argument.

[Rocketbilly]

...You make a convincing argument.

Why thank you

Whatever happens, though, I can't see LEGO just completely leaving out Furno and possibly Rocka, too. They just seem like the main characters to me, the ones that LEGO intends the kids to relate to most - also we seem to have been following Furno from the beginning as a rookie, to a fully fledged Hero. I don't know if LEGO class him as a "Veteran" now like they originally did with Bulk, Stringer and Stormer but I'm sure he's got a little bit further to go yet. Maybe he'll make an appearance as an XL set.

Ideally, I'd like next years sets (at least as far as heroes go) to include at least two new rookies, Nex and Evo and then Furno as a larger boxed set as part of the Winter wave, then then maybe more new rookies and one or two existing heroes and then Rocka as part of a boxed set, perhaps with a vehicle. I suppose it depends on how LEGO decide to organise the waves.

But then again, LEGO could just stick with the established Heroes, and while not as exciting as new characters, would stil make sense, and I'm confident in the designers to make them appealing still.

Edited August 16, 2012 by Rocketbilly

[Jetrax99]

Honestly, I'd kinda like HF to go at least as long as Bionicle did if possible. If it did, it would open up the possibility for an official crossover arc...with sets. Think about the possibilities, Special edition Mata Nui re-release in his proper GOLD color and not that silly overused Keetorange color he was. New ball cup molding is also a plus.

[Zachattacx]

Honestly, I'd kinda like HF to go at least as long as Bionicle did if possible. If it did, it would open up the possibility for an official crossover arc...with sets. Think about the possibilities, Special edition Mata Nui re-release in his proper GOLD color and not that silly overused Keetorange color he was. New ball cup molding is also a plus.

It has potential to last that long(What I mean is there will always be villains), but IMO it seems well to end it with VN and the anti-heroes, if possible, but that crossover would be interesting.Don't know if its been mentioned but

everybody seen the back page of the 1.0 instructions, right?Well Makuhero City was built on some type of land, but it connects to a larger piece of land(not saying its Bionicle related but)yeah.

[dviddy]

LEGO representatives seem pretty certain that there will never be another non-licensed theme that runs as long as BIONICLE did. They attribute a lot of the failures of BIONICLE down the line to the stagnation that happened when it just didn't end. Hence why Ninjago, even though it is insanely popular and is doing extremely extremely well, will be ending after 2013.

[Zachattacx]

LEGO representatives seem pretty certain that there will never be another non-licensed theme that runs as long as BIONICLE did. They attribute a lot of the failures of BIONICLE down the line to the stagnation that happened when it just didn't end. Hence why Ninjago, even though it is insanely popular and is doing extremely extremely well, will be ending after 2013.

Bionicle had a longer run than it was supposed to,IMO it should have ended in the last part of 08,the whole Bara Magna thing was random IMO but ended the way Bionicle should have ended with Mata Nui killing Makuta once and for all.Ninjago on the other hand has one of the most randomly/crazy storylines Lego has ever produced(Ninjas that fight skeletons and snakes)but yet has a perfectly good story,unlike Bionicle, Ninjago has a Beginning-Middle-End scenario that works and keeps me a fan of Ninjago(don't get me wrong love the sets a lot and love the minifigs).While on the third hand Hero Factory has a good old fashioned good versus evil plot with heroes catching villains.It was boring the first three waves IMO,because it was all the same(2.0 really is when things got a little bit cool with the building system),but then the breakout storyline comes out and this is where it got interesting.IMO we get Von Nebula who broke out of his staff, which caused the black hole to burst and make a teleporting device that caused villains to break out everywhere, but then we finally get to a point where VN's master plot is revealed(The Villain Factory)and Von Nebula becomes the villain that I always thought he would,1.0 didn't really prove anything execpt that he was a coward and ran, but know we have a different VN in which is potential as a mega villain is revealed.

[MakutaNocturn]

I think that we will have evil heroes (produced by Von Nebula) and good heroes. Just like in Ninjago where our 4 ninjas were fighting with their 4 enemies-ninjas... which looked the same.

That would be weird but nice if we had for example good Stormer, Evo, Stringer and Breez and evil Furno, Rocka etc. I mean Von Nebula will produce new evil heroes basing on old projects for our 10 heroes ;P Do you like my idea?

[Logan McOwen]

I'd like them to stop pushing the idea of 'Toxic Reapa's a creature, XT4's a Cybrog' because they look like robots. Something that looks like a robot can't be an animal, can it? That's like saying Asimo is actually just a dwarf. It's wrong and silly.

[MakutaNocturn]

I'd like them to stop pushing the idea of 'Toxic Reapa's a creature, XT4's a Cybrog' because they look like robots. Something that looks like a robot can't be an animal, can it? That's like saying Asimo is actually just a dwarf. It's wrong and silly.

Oh really?

BTW: You've forgotten sth. Hero Factory website is mostly for children. And children won't think wheter is it an animal or a robot.

Edited August 16, 2012 by MakutaNocturn

[exxtrooper]

I'd love to see some new female Heroes, though I doubt it will happen. Would still be awesome though

[DraikNova]

The XT4=cyborg thing is weird, yes. Anyway, for 2013, I want to see the modifiable 2.0 system of helmets return, because these allow for more creativity, make them look more like the mass-produced modifiable robots they actually are and make sure that every MOC with one of the helmet pieces isn't automatically, say, a Stormer MOC. A new purple (or a trans-colour) hero is also high on my list, and maybe a new gimmick. Other's probably will want a tan or brown hero (perfect for canine MOCs) or a metallic (maybe bronze-steampunk with trans light blue tesla weapons?) hero. A coloured skeleton for each hero-say azure for Surge, red for Furno and white for Stormer- would also be cool, and the change could be explained as an "energized frame". Also, a new type of hero, perhaps a dragonoid or canid one, is in my opinion necessary if we want to get away from the humanoid frame and get exclusive sets, like a dragon with dragon-rider edition of Surge (Surge being the rider).

I actually want HF to run as least as long as city, so we can get every possible color of armor.

I think Toxic Reapa is also a cyborg, or a reproducing "species" of robot.

Also, children do think a lot about their toys, probably more than adults, because 1, they don't have jobs and therefore more time to play/build/think about them, and 2, proportionally to their "income" the toys cost more.

EDIT: Wow that was a long rant.

Edited August 16, 2012 by DraikNova

[vexorian]

I want Hero Factory to be replaced in 2013. Instead I would make LEGO make a theme about mechs using the HF system, but with canopies that have minifigure pilots. Done.

[DraikNova]

That's just Exoforce 2.0. I really would prefer if we would just get some purple. Although, you may be onto something. Exo-Hero, anyone?

[exxtrooper]

On 8/16/2012 at 4:45 PM, DraikNova said:

That's just Exoforce 2.0. I really would prefer if we would just get some purple. Although, you may be onto something. Exo-Hero, anyone?

Exo-force is one of my favorite themes, it even had a small tv series and everything. And they sort of just left it in the with no real closure

Exo-force 2.0 with HF system would defiantly be awesome, though I doubt this will happen as they're trying to go for the "action figure" theme with this system, using very little parts and making it easy for small kids to build with.

Though again, anything could happen! Does anyone know when the next Brick/toy-something con where they show of upcoming sets?

Edited February 12, 2019 by exxtrooper

[DraikNova]

Let me check...

[Aanchir]

I'd like them to stop pushing the idea of 'Toxic Reapa's a creature, XT4's a Cybrog' because they look like robots. Something that looks like a robot can't be an animal, can it? That's like saying Asimo is actually just a dwarf. It's wrong and silly.

In a universe where pretty much everyone is a robot or at least partially robotic, I think it would make perfect sense to just call a robotic or semi-robotic creature a "creature". Just like in real life we call the creatures around us "animals" or "creatures" instead of "organic animals" or "organic creatures", in Hero Factory everyone is simply assumed to be robotic and thus it's only when a character is semi-organic that it's worthy of comment.

Calling XT4 a cyborg doesn't necessarily mean that he's actually part organic-- it could just be some poorly-chosen usage to imply that he's "more robotic than usual", even if that doesn't make as much sense in a world where pretty much everyone's a robot. Of course, there are other possibilities: Wiktionary offers a second definition for "cyborg" to mean "a robot who has an organic past".

[DraikNova]

Essentially that means that XT4 could have been an organic creature in the past.

[Masta' Blasta']

I'd like them to stop pushing the idea of 'Toxic Reapa's a creature, XT4's a Cybrog' because they look like robots. Something that looks like a robot can't be an animal, can it? That's like saying Asimo is actually just a dwarf. It's wrong and silly.

I personally think that Reapa looks more like a creature than a robot, he has a much smoother and organic feel whereas the heroes have gizmos and such on them. XT4 on the other hand.. I suppose I can accept him being a cyborg considering both the paw-like feet and the teeth.

[DraikNova]

Well, you've got a point. And TR definitely has the Bohrok organic-feel about him.

[Masta' Blasta']

That's just Exoforce 2.0. I really would prefer if we would just get some purple. Although, you may be onto something. Exo-Hero, anyone?

I would actually be thrilled to see that theme return, but not with the Hero Factory system. I can't imagine the cladding on anything aside from action figures and I would personally feel better having BIONICLE parts return. However, an 'Exo-Hero' would be awesome if executed correctly.

[DraikNova]

I really want an Exo-Hero suit. Possibly with it's own "guidance" hero core or hero core armor for the hero.

[Gatanui]

Maybe LEGO just didn't know what a cyborg is.

-Gata

[dviddy]

Bionicle had a longer run than it was supposed to,IMO it should have ended in the last part of 08,the whole Bara Magna thing was random IMO but ended the way Bionicle should have ended with Mata Nui killing Makuta once and for all.Ninjago on the other hand has one of the most randomly/crazy storylines Lego has ever produced(Ninjas that fight skeletons and snakes)but yet has a perfectly good story,unlike Bionicle, Ninjago has a Beginning-Middle-End scenario that works and keeps me a fan of Ninjago(don't get me wrong love the sets a lot and love the minifigs).While on the third hand Hero Factory has a good old fashioned good versus evil plot with heroes catching villains.It was boring the first three waves IMO,because it was all the same(2.0 really is when things got a little bit cool with the building system),but then the breakout storyline comes out and this is where it got interesting.IMO we get Von Nebula who broke out of his staff, which caused the black hole to burst and make a teleporting device that caused villains to break out everywhere, but then we finally get to a point where VN's master plot is revealed(The Villain Factory)and Von Nebula becomes the villain that I always thought he would,1.0 didn't really prove anything execpt that he was a coward and ran, but know we have a different VN in which is potential as a mega villain is revealed.

Bionicle was actually slated to have another year in the original (as in the "this is successful let's keep going" plans that happened after the Bohrok) plans. It was cut short because TLG was ready to move on.

Exo-force is my favorite theme of all time, it even had a small tv series and everything. And they sort of just left it in the with no real closure

Exo-force performed very very poorly which is why it just ended. TLG has a hard time giving the sets away. Seriously.

[Dorek]

Conversation switch!

So I picked up the DK readers "Heroes In Action" from the library, just for the heck of it. It basically just recaps the Breakout episode, so not much there. The only two things of note were:

1. Rookie status. Everybody except Stormer is a rookie, apparently.

2. It does actually call attention to how Voltix breaks out, in that he can create electrical projections of his body (or, I suppose, Von Nebula's), which can phase through the bars of Hero Factory cells.

So yeah. Not much interesting, and ends on a doom and gloom note, but the Voltix thing was bugging me, and it's good to see that addressed somewhere.

[BrotherDog]

Exo-force performed very very poorly which is why it just ended. TLG has a hard time giving the sets away. Seriously.

It would likely have helped if they would've put them on shelves in more places and less focussed on store exclusives. Too many exclusives greatly limits availabilty in too many regions where said store does not exist. Locally shelves were always empty of Exo-Force, sold out the day it came in, which was usually only one case of sets.

Perhaps in the final wave (and its assosciated comics/novels/cartoon) we could see Stormer retire or get promoted or something, leaving Furno to take control of Alpha team or a team of his own and then he could take command of the new rookies. I think it would help with taking the series full circle. But yeah, if it does end next year then I don't suppose having new Heroes would be as necessary than if the theme was set to continue indefinitely or even for just one more year of sets.

My only problem with that idea is furno being in charge, Bulk and Stringer have more seniority and are better choices. Otherwise a grand idea.

Edited August 17, 2012 by BrotherDog