Darkness Falls

My sacrifice was not in vain! Great game- unfortunately, nobody trusted anyone else enough to let some infected go down. Not a problem, though! I'd love to play again.

I'm not playing the game anymore! I'm merely commenting.

The lack of voting from a majority of those alive is not helping the pace of the game. Wasn't it said that the security footage has no clues in it? If so, Hinkley's "troll weapons" argument is invalid.

I can has spot please?

Well, considering Ben10 is licensed, why doesn't this become the forum for the new Theme? Since it will retain most of Bionicle's set elements, I don't see why it would make sense.

While I agree that the mystery and suspense of it all was grand- it can't last. Eventually someone is going to love a character so much that they say, "I want to see what he really looks like!", etc. Besides, when 2003 rolled around and the first Bionicle movie was on the horizon, they needed something to wow fans- why not give the shadowy essence of Makuta physical form? And even then, it wasn't his real form- it was simply something intimidating he created to fight Takanuva. But, I digress. The thing that happens with any series is closure. If we were left without seeing Makuta's favored form or why, exactly, Mata Nui's death would have been catastrophic to the Matoran Universe, would we have felt satisfied? No, because while one argues that the mysticism of the story would have been held intact, the entire 2003-beyond storyline was about getting answers and understanding the secrets. And even then, have we ever understood the Red Star? The Organic Masks? Artahka? I don't know where I'm going with this. Good night!

I suppose this goes here instead of the 2010 topic, and it addresses some of the points stated earlier. Well, I can truthfully say I'm sorry to hear this. I have always loved Bionicle, its story, its sets, and everything about it- I'll be truly sorry to see it go. Fortunately, we will see the story flourish hopefully for years after- and maybe it will earn a place in some of the greater franchises of its time as well as a solid place in the halls of sci-fi glory. However, it won't be the same without being able to hold the physical representations of characters- I dare to say that it was the original visuals- Tahu surfing on a rock in molten lava, Pohatu kicking a stone in a dynamic pose, Kopaka standing lonely and stalwart on an icy peak, Gali hanging from a cliff over watery depths, Lewa swinging on a vine in the jungle, and Onua clawing his way through another tunnel- indeed, the visuals were what sparked my initial interest- not the story. The story, I came to love... the sets have always been dear to me. I hope that the new, articulated line is able to present such exciting visuals as the original Bionicle sets did, and I will attempt its story, I suppose. As long as it's pieces are compatible with the old Bionicle sets, which I have no doubt they will be, and they continue on a vein of unique, new ideas (moving away from masks and entering a new and more interesting design style), I will continue to buy them. Perhaps they will simply be a continuation of the line I have loved for the past ten years of my life to me, no matter what new title they bear. Bionicle, you are my childhood. You will be remembered.

Well, I can truthfully say I'm sorry to hear this. I have always loved Bionicle, its story, its sets, and everything about it- I'll be truly sorry to see it go. Fortunately, we will see the story flourish hopefully for years after- and maybe it will earn a place in some of the greater franchises of its time as well as a solid place in the halls of sci-fi glory. However, it won't be the same without being able to hold the physical representations of characters- I dare to say that it was the original visuals- Tahu surfing on a rock in molten lava, Pohatu kicking a stone in a dynamic pose, Kopaka standing lonely and stalwart on an icy peak, Gali hanging from a cliff over watery depths, Lewa swinging on a vine in the jungle, and Onua clawing his way through another tunnel- indeed, the visuals were what sparked my initial interest- not the story. The story, I came to love... the sets have always been dear to me. I hope that the new, articulated line is able to present such exciting visuals as the original Bionicle sets did, and I will attempt its story, I suppose. As long as it's pieces are compatible with the old Bionicle sets, which I have no doubt they will be, and they continue on a vein of unique, new ideas (moving away from masks and entering a new and more interesting design style), I will continue to buy them. Perhaps they will simply be a continuation of the line I have loved for the past ten years of my life to me, no matter what new title they bear. Bionicle, you are my childhood. You will be remembered.

Hmph. I like how those who suspected me are now flouting it like it's a shield. Well, I suppose I can tell everyone who the infected are now... :D

Oi. Well, the whole "Traitor" thing was not my cup of tea from the start.

I wouldn't doubt Bink was referencing the new series in September or maybe some summer sets that are simply more Stars.

Easy there- I'm just trying to analyze the situation. I fully recognize (as stated later) that anyone could have stolen a larger knife or any weapon of the matter.

...I'm a maintenance guy. Isn't fixing things in my job? Is there anything else I should be working on right now? The reason I want to work on the engines is because I'm very concerned with the situation. Anyway, after discussing with the AI and other members of the crew, I've realized that, even with our combined efforts, I don't think we'll be able to get these engines running again, especially if we're busy trying to find out who the infected are. We should focus on that.

With someone's permission, I'd like to work on the engines in the engine room.

Is there any way we could fix the engines in time to get us out of this Black Hole situation? If we find all the infected, I'd rather we didn't all die.

Ah, I hadn't read this post- I agree, the rank of our crewmates really shouldn't factor into this at all, as anything that has happened could be a result of stolen/nabbed weapons OR those befitting the items using them. It's all up in the air. Thanks, Leo, you'd certainly be a great help! I'll be working on the engines all day, and through the evening. If you'd like a group of trustworthy people- perhaps ALL of us, to come with me, by all means, do so. I think, if we're going to be doing any maintenance on these engines, we should all go down together, so no one has the opportunity to sneak off. I think I'm more of the grease-monkey of us all and I can have La'h'Rok and Leo direct me in any way to attempt to fix these engines. I'm not sure if I could repair the engines in order to get us out of this black hole, but I'll certainly try my best.

I'm saying did the stab wound look like it went through the victim, or did it merely penetrate one side? If it only stabbed trough one side of him and not completely through that would imply some sort of kitchen knife. Though now that you mention it one of our cooks is extremely large and might have to carry a larger sort of blade... I'm merely trying to find out what sort of blade it was so we can maybe rule out certain people. So just because the higher ups have been targeted we're suspicious of the lower ranked crew members? What if it is someone who is within higher ranks that has the proper tools and authority to do so?

...I... I guess I should get to work on those engines. I'll try my best to help. This is insane- I can't believe this is happening. And this crew, heck, this ship... you all seemed so nice during orientation day! The threat of murder OR death by black hole... yeech! The stab wound, did it go deep through the victim? That would imply that it's something a little bigger than a kitchen knife.

M.I.N.I. Aerial Strike Unit- Hoping on dominating in all aspects of warfare, BlackArms quickly began work on an air-based M.I.N.I.. The Aerial Strike Unit took the basic design of the M.I.N.I. and refined its speed and aerodynamics, as well as adding some heavy firepower to the mech. The main improvement that this mech made over its predecessor was the integration of the Power Pack into its design- this was done because BlackArms accepted the fact that, should an Aerial Strike Unit fall in battle, its Power Pack would most likely not survive a crash. The addition of Twin Chest Masers and a BlackArms "Tankbuster" Rifle provided the lithe mech with enough firepower to match any jet or opposing aerial unit. It's feet were converted to appendages that would facilitate it's speed in the air, and though these mechs would never walk on the ground, the altered limbs as well as the windflaps on the shoulders allowed it fantastic control in the air and gave it the ability to fly close to the ground. These mechs also acted as high-speed blitz ground forces in the war. M.I.N.I. Heavy Assault Unit- The idea of a mech was to basically take a soldier and turn him into a tank, and when the M.I.N.I. first debuted, many ally powers had trouble believing anything stronger could exist. In missions where the tough M.I.N.I. just wasn't tough enough, BlackArms deployed the M.I.N.I. Heavy Assault Unit. The basic design of the M.I.N.I. was revamped, adding extra plates of armor to the front half of the mech, giving it an immense tolerance to heavy weaponfire. The back half of the mech, including the Power Pack, was virtually unchanged, however there were several improvements in the weapons system. The Energy Burst Rods were done away with, replaced by delicate mechanical hands that could perform manual tasks the original M.I.N.I. was too clumsy to accomplish. To make up to the loss of the chest lasers, a Quad Laser was mounted on the left shoulder and the devastating G.S.B.T.W.I.O.A., the Gun So Big That it Warrants It's Own Acronym, was mounted on the right. Its power came from a direct linkage to the Power Pack, a connection strong enough to completely blow away whole buildings. However, the mobility of this mech was drastically reduced because of the additional armor plates, and they were often airdropped from BlackArms airships to land in the battlezones, where they would hardly move from their original landing spot. Still, a well-placed squadron of these mechs was able to hold hundreds at bay, and they were rumored to take out WhiteArms M.A.S.S.I.V.E.s on occasion.

Well, I've been working with the limited abilities of LDD for a while now and I'd like to share some MoCs with you. There is a story behind these so please, bear with me. If the story seems enjoyable, I'll be attempting a webcomic soon. In the year 2143, advanced warfare has become a high priority for the people of earth. In an attempt to reduce the amount of lives lost in battles, the development of mecha has been studied in-depth, yielding great results. An Axis organization simply named BlackArms has created their own Miniscule Insidious Unit, or M.I.N.I. Mech. It was designed to be an easily deployed, multi-function unit that could be easily customized to fit any situation. The revolutionary Power Pack was a portable energy source that delivered power to the M.I.N.I.s entire system and built in weapons system, which included wrist mounted gatling guns, chest lasers, shoulder mounted rocket launchers and a direct, Energy Burst Rod that fired off blasts of the Power Pack's intense energy from the rods extending over the hands. The M.I.N.I. could wield a vast amount of external weapons(to be added later) as well, and often did so in order to save energy. The Power Pack was easily removable and could be transferred to any other BlackArms M.I.N.I., which saved the expenses created from manufacturing new Power Packs. Eventually, M.I.N.I.s evolved into several classes- an Aerial Strike Unit, Heavy Assault Unit, and Long Range Unit(to be added later). BlackArms soon began dominating in their military escapades, conquering many nations and churning out more and more M.I.N.I.s. However, a bold group of nations formed the WhiteArms Foundation, which was dedicated to fighting off BlackArms advanced warfare. At first, WhiteArms focused on equipping soldiers with anti-M.I.N.I. weapons, but it soon became clear that they would have to fight fire with fire. A brave WhiteArms operative, caught behind enemy lines, found a downed M.I.N.I. with enough of an outer shell and a fully intact Power Pack and set to work customizing it, resulting in his own Terrific Infallible Newtype Mecha, or T.I.N.Y. Mech. It featured a radically altered design, with slopes and a distinctive chest cavity that allowed heat from the mech to be vented far more easily that lead to a more aerodynamic, durable mech. A main contributor to it's increased speed and weapon power was that the Power Pack was integrated directly into the mech, allowing a stronger and more continuous stream of energy throughout the T.I.N.Y.s systems. However, it kept only its wrist mounted gatling guns and Energy Burst Rods, opting with WhiteArms designed anti-M.I.N.I. external weapons for combat. The operative was able to surprise his opponents with his new creation and managed to escape enemy territory, returning his design to WhiteArms, who opted for a more tame color scheme of blue and white. Eventually, WhiteArms developed their own classes, including Underwater Attack Unit, Aerial Blitz Unit, and Landspeed Units(to be added later), and the tide of their battles with BlackArms began to turn. WhiteArms hoped to end the war with BlackArms quickly and asked the operative who constructed the T.I.N.Y. to research ways of improving the Power Pack system. His efforts were successful, though the newly improved Power Pack Plus needed a larger mech body to accompany it. After a year, WhiteArms debuted their Mechanical Archetype Made for Maiming Insidious Villians Effectively. The M.A.S.S.I.V.E. was a grand step forward for WhiteArms, and the operative was quick to use his custom model on the M.I.N.I.s. The Power Pack Plus was a radical redesign that improved upon the original in both energy output and functionality- the Plus was able to give a M.A.S.S.I.V.E. periods of sustained flight. Vents that could open and close cooled the now-larger arms and legs of the mech, which used a combination of physical attacks and new heavy anti-M.I.N.I. weaponry to attack. It seemed, for some time, that the M.A.S.S.I.V.E. was decimating the BlackArms forces. Though they were pushed back to their original borders and had switched to a defensive, BlackArms was not done yet. They performed a daring assault upon a newly constructed WhiteArms factory and stole a large amount of data concerning the M.A.S.S.I.V.E.. Their arsenal of Mechs had expanded, now featuring A.I. driven M.I.N.I.s, M.I.N.I. Mark IIs, and BlackArms Beasts(to be added later). They were able to save on manpower with their new A.I. untis and could operate attacks in a coordinated, precise manner. Despite this, the M.A.S.S.I.V.E.s continued to beat back their forces until coming upon the BlackArms origin factories in the heart of BlackArms territory- where they decided to unveil their Gigantic Insidious Attack Unit. The G.I.A.N.T. was terrifying, boasting an Anti-M.A.S.S.I.V.E. Twin Cannon and a Beam Lance capable of keeping M.A.S.S.I.V.E.s at bay. Both were easily interchangeable, with many G.I.A.N.T.s on the field dual-wielding either Beam Lances or Twin Cannons. Some merely used their intimidating height, which was greater than that of a M.A.S.S.I.V.E., to instill fear in the hearts of WhiteArms soldiers and tear away at them with sharp claws and shoulder mounted rockets. The G.I.A.N.T. was a truly fearsome foe, piloted by man or A.I. alike. But the worst was yet to come. As G.I.A.N.T.s swarmed battlefields and pushed back WhiteArms forces, BlackArms prepared to unleash their greatest invention yet, the T.I.T.A.N.... Tech Specs- Organized Mecha Database. BlackArms- M.I.N.I. (Information Coming Soon) M.I.N.I. Aerial Strike Unit M.I.N.I. Heavy Assault Unit M.I.N.I. Long Range Unit M.I.N.I. Mark II BlackArms B.E.A.S.T. G.I.A.N.T. (Information Coming Soon) T.I.T.A.N. WhiteArms- WhiteArms GrayWolf T.I.N.Y. (Information Coming Soon) T.I.N.Y. Custom T.I.N.Y. Underwater Attack Unit (Coming Soon) T.I.N.Y. Aerial Blitz Unit T.I.N.Y. Landspeed Unit A.V.E.R.A.G.E. Advanced Tactics Unit M.A.S.S.I.V.E. (Information Coming Soon) M.A.S.S.I.V.E. Custom T.I.T.A.N. T.I.T.A.N. Custom GrayArms- T.I.N.Y. A.V.E.R.A.G.E. Power Pack Types (Includes Short Descriptions)- Classic Power Pack- The original. Removable, reusable, and containing vast amounts of power, the Classic Power Pack was a marvel of modern engineering. It needed vents to expel excess power that would cause the overheating of the mech, thus, the Energy Burst Rod was integrated into most mechs that utilized it. Later mechs that used more powerful weaponry did not need Energy Burst Rods, as they discharged or utilized enough energy to keep the mech heat levels in check. The WhiteArms T.I.N.Y. used a specialized Classic Power Pack that was built into the back of the mech to boost performance, seen here. Flight Power Pack- An improvement on the Classic Power Pack, it had large vents built into it that created a powerful thrust system, capable of flight. Mostly used on specialized T.I.N.Y.s and M.I.N.I.s because it is far too small for any other mech. Miniature Power Pack- Used mostly on B.E.A.S.T.s and some extremely light mechs, this type had as much energy needed for a mech that used it- its power was proportional to the Classic Power Pack and used because it was light enough for small mechs and mechs without heavy weaponry. However, any weaponry attached to this pack was even weaker than Energy Burst Rods and most integrated M.I.N.I. weaponry. Long Range Tactical Power Pack- A Classic Power Pack redesign, this model increased power output and functionality. As seen here, it retained all the original hardware of the Classic Power Pack, but featured a built in A.I. system that regulated power levels and had a radar that sensed other Power Packs in a 5 mile radius. This Power Pack was used mostly on Long Range Units, who used the Power Pack detection system to identify and snipe other targets. The entire Power Pack could be detached and used as a communications system and weapons platform, making it extremely versatile, but these features were rarely used. It was also very cost ineffective. M.I.N.I. Mark II Power Pack- Classic Mark II- When the M.A.S.S.I.V.E. was finally introduced, BlackArms attempted to counter by improving upon their original Power Pack without having to design a whole new Mech- the M.I.N.I. Mark II's Power Pack is basically a small, but effective redesign to the original Classic- Energy Burst Rods were turned into a jetpack system, and the inner electronics and power routing were improved. This resulted in a Power Pack that did not look much different from its predecessor but functioned far more effectively and allowed the design of the M.I.N.I. to alter and become more dangerous- plus, with the discontinuation of the Classic Power Pack, WhiteArms could no longer effectively steal Power Packs for their T.I.N.Y.s, as these Packs would easily overheat the more simplistic mech. A.V.E.R.A.G.E. Power Pack- A highly advanced redesign, this Power Pack was specialized for the A.V.E.R.A.G.E., modified to work effectively with the increased articulation of the mech and give limited flight ability. It was also one of WhiteArms only detachable Power Packs, as they hoped to utilize the A.V.E.R.A.G.E. as much as possible and would salvage Power Packs from downed mechs for later use. If this Power Pack had been utilized on any other mech, it would have undoubtedly overheated the mech, as massive amounts of energy were fired off like synapses in order to give the A.V.E.R.A.G.E. full use of its limbs and smooth motion. M.A.S.S.I.V.E. Class Power Pack- The mechanics of the original Power Pack were analyzed to a great extent and this model debuted as the next step in mech power systems. This pack improves upon the Classic Power Pack in nearly every way- two Energy Burst Rods were built into the sides and discharge energy when the pack is at critical mass or begins to overheat, and they also serve as a method of increasing jump range, as they dispel energy downwards. The Power Pack was fully integrated into the M.A.S.S.I.V.E., which featured a revolutionary new joint system capable of fluid movement. The reason for this is that the Power Pack extends into the shoulder and leg joints, providing them direct power, and terminals at the elbow joints act as extensions of the main Power Pack, with the ability to route more power to one limb over the other, if one requires more strength or energy for firepower. The downside to this is that the M.A.S.S.I.V.E. Power Pack is rendered completely useless if the mech is destroyed- this model is not detachable like others, meaning WhiteArms has to continuously build more, and with greater ability, size, and energy comes a much higher price. BlackArms also used a version of this Pack in their G.I.A.N.T., though it had locks that could be ejected, causing the central Power Pack to detach from the Mech. T.I.T.A.N. Class Power Pack- Not much is known about this Power Pack, but rumors say its energy output, cool-down system, and redeploy ability are unmatched by any other Power Pack- it is considered a focal part of the Dawn of Great Mechs. Further analysis shows the effective combination of each Power Pack Class seen before it- an A.I. system, powerful thrusters, and new types of vents, as well as a nod back to the original Power Pack, using Energy Burst Rods as Shoulder Mounted cannons this time. T.I.T.A.N. Class Advanced Power Pack- The Innovator made some interesting altercations to the original T.I.T.A.N. Power Pack. He ditched the original Energy Burst Rod design and created a new one that would allow the WhiteArms T.I.T.A.N. to be master of the sky rather than the ground. He created a complex thrust system that used Burst Rods in each of its "feathers" in order to propel the mech skyward. Otherwise, the Advanced Power Pack was not much different from the original Power Pack. GrayArms T.I.N.Y. Power Pack- Not much is known about this Power Pack except that it is far more compact and effective than any small-sized Power Pack seen before. However, that does not mean it is more effective than a M.A.S.S.I.V.E. or T.I.T.A.N. Class Power Pack. GrayArms A.V.E.R.A.G.E. Power Pack- With the addition of tower Pylons to the Classic Power Pack, it was given a powerful new cooling system that allowed a far more impressive energy output than even the highly advanced WhiteArms A.V.E.R.A.G.E. Power Pack. This Power Pack needed a new Mech Shell, however- it could not fit well with the interface of the A.V.E.R.A.G.E. shell. So a new mech was built for it, one that had simpler articulation but could utilize the power output of the new Power Pack far better. Misc- Old Construction Mech WhiteBike

I've been on a few ships in my lifetime, and I've heard a lot about moatballs... they say its an acquired taste... would you agree?

Well, they say it's always good to have someone to turn to in times of stress, I suppose.

Whoa- and here I thought I was the only one... Everybody phnorfs.

Cool topic bro. Legs are very Evangelion/00 Gundam inspired.

Whoa, whoa! I didn't say I didn't want anyone convicted today- unless convicting someone means we need to shoot them out of the airlock without question. That's just a little harsh! And to tell you the truth, I can't make heads or tails of what you're trying to say in your second statement. What I was saying is that we all have specific talents- though, I'll admit, I'm just a maintenance guy, I don't have much to contribute- that could help glean more into the nature of these weiners and possibly halt this infection for good.