dviddy
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Everything posted by dviddy
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I was going to specify that in this context, the undead ancient warriors context, is what I was referring to, in which case the armour placement was a poor choice, but you mentioned it in your last part so I think it makes sense. Though I think your example of the thick to thin limbs isn't aesthetically pleasing, there is definitely s place for that look. Context in design is important. To clarify something: I am not saying these sets are perfect or immune to criticism. I think the orange does not clash nor look bad with any if the colour schemes, but as an accent colour it clearly is supposed to mean something and pull the eye towards that spot. But why? Since we don't know I am open to finding out before I decry it, but without context I agree the orange seems out if place. I also agree that representing 3D things like chains with 2D printings takes away from the personality if the print. I also agree that the new limb part, from an anatomical position when viewed as two seperate bones, looks odd as an upper limb. What I (poorly I suppose) was trying to say us that there are purposeful reasons a lot of these decisions were made, and we don't always know them, but every part and design is chosen to evoke a character. Pohatu, for example, has been mentioned as boring and simple and too short, but I honestly think his design evokes the desert scavenger vibe incredibly well and I think it helps define his personality as the rough and tumble scrapper with a friendly yet stubborn streak. Traditional fantasy and historical armours didn't cover the upper limbs the same as the lower, and lower coverings generally followed the shape of the limb, hence the skinny upper limbs and bulky yet tapering lowers. That is a design choice that makes sense. Whether it appeals to someone aesthetically is a different story and where I welcome criticism and comments and as a reviewer myself, where I try to find and follow. Not interested in trying to be hostile or cause some angry response in those comments, but I can see where folks may have seen them negatively? Edit: Oh dang three pages and a post from VBBN. Oops. Thanks mobile. :(
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With or without fault, only a handful of people in this topic are knowledgeable or trained enough in the field to properly make those assessments from an objective "this is bad design" standpoint. It is all about the language. You may not personally like the thin limbs going into bulky lower limbs, but it is absurd to say it is bad design, when thick limbs going to thin lowers is instead the absurd design choice. We all have preferences for some designs over others, and that's cool. Hence why criticism is fine and dandy from a personal standpoint. But just saying "this is bad design", especially when historical design principles say the opposite, is not. People in the community are fairly bad at judging character design and seeing why the designers chose what parts and builds they chose within their constraints, but this is another level.
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Eh, criticize away. I do it on the front page of BZP in reviews, after all. I just think it is laughable to say things like "these are bad colours" when design theory and colour theory disagree. Or things like "the skeletal upper limbs going to bulky lower limbs is bad design" when it is actually the exact opposite. Thin limbs connected to big bulky lower limbs is a common design trope for a reason- it works. Criticize from a play and parts availability or preference theme all you want, I will too, but character and visual design has rules and it has them for a reason, and some of the criticisms in here are absurd and fly in the face of hundreds of years of research and exploration in the field of visual design.
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ITT:People with no background in design criticizing design theory from professional designers.
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License owners pick the vehicles and characters LEGO produces. So Disney told TLG which characters they wanted and then approved the final designs. Also how superhero sets work too.
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I don't want more complex Titans because that's a dumb term that hasn't been used since 2009 and should stay there.
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Those masks are cool. The guys from RUSBIONICLE were handing them out at NYCC, I have the one they gave me on my wall. In pictures the shading is so well done they look three-dimensional. I had thought they were just fan-made but it looks like they weren't! As far as the three years, that comes straight from NYCC. The line is planned for three years, with the option to extend based on sales.
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Now that someone out there has as many as I do, maybe people will stop bugging me about them. :P
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The series says "father to son" and "across generations" and we have a clearly child-sized Protector-kid and everyone gets into a big discussion/argument over whether or not there's biological reproduction (like there is assumed in almost all media in the history of civilization, even in kids' franchises) or whether they build themselves like they did in G1. And people arguing about what's confirmed and what's not canon and all I can think of is "man G1's literal word of God canonization via Greg ruined the franchise's ability to handle subtlety and ambiguity". The sooner that dies out for the new line the better.
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Nah, I think August was early enough. ;)
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If it's Jedi Luke Skywalker and based off of films only, it'll probably be his RotJ black outfit.
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This is really normal for Nuremberg. It isn't until NYTF that we usually get a really good look at stuff.
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I knew the orange mask had to exist for a reason. Glad it will be a thing everyone will be able to own! It's a neat piece, really showcases the lines on the new masks.
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I'm pretty sure they were talking about that weird add-on you can see on the big guy's knees with Ekimu. Not any other piece really visible that could be described that way, and I wouldn't use that description for any of the parts visible. Kind of disappointed that was even mentioned.
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The new bones don't seem to be replacing the old ones they're both being used in the sets. The ones without connectors seem to exist for aesthetic reasons (no more annoying "but why is this limb empty when there's a connection point open???" comments on sets or MOCs, thank God.)
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Sorry, the big guy in the Ekimu set is definitely wearing the mystery mask from the magazine. It is just a different angle.
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Love the black friction extenders. Finally! Not sure why people think the bones with no attachments are bad for MOCing, as long as the other style sticks around too, these will be a valuable part of a MOCing arsenal. I can think of several MOCs I already want to switch the old bones out for the new ones on.
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Things at London Toy Fair are usually fairly preliminary. I'd assume a stand in mask for sure. The system reports say that most sets just had blank white Minifigs on display with little illustrations of the actual figs, so take all reports with a grain of salt until we see actual pictures.
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My position is fueled from having been aware of the story for more than six months, the NYCC panel, and official sources such as the new story writers and even Greg. All official comment is that this is a reboot and a new canon. Anything else is speculation mixed with willful ignorance. To elaborate, since I am allowed to these days, the story team spoke very openly in our discussions prior to NYCC about raising the 01-03 story eras for new ideas and storytelling, because those parts truly defined the line in the company's mind, and also far and away outsold anything else. They wanted a reboot to recapture the simplicity and the mystery, and talked a lot about stealing concepts from the early years and repurposing them in the new story. They felt the latter years grew messy and convoluted, and the more dark and edgy tone was opposed to the line's spirit as they saw it. To me, and the rest of the BZP staff at NYCC and the two under NDA with me, that screams solid reboot entirely. Is it possible TLG will leave the door open for fans to connect as they see fit? Sure. But I don't remotely think they want a connection outside of a spiritual one, as it were.
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What's the verification on those exact spots being where those events took place? I haven't seen any of this on the website or in the game (though admittedly I spent only a few minutes on the game, I'm just not much of a video game person).
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This isn't remotely true. They both have a big chest plate and a head with a small socket link. Otherwise the connections between the same are vastly different- they manner they connect to the torso is entirely different. The arms and legs aren't built the same, and it's a bit of a cop-out to just say "oh it's just shells put on differently" because that's the answer to every single LEGO set ever: it's just similar pieces put together differently. The argument doesn't hold up. Why are you here? I am not going to apologize for pointing out something other people have been saying. Your presence here has been one of: -Someone says something we have proof of from TLG -You say "that can't be true there's a vahi." -Yes but TLG- -VAHI -Someone says something about potential new sets -NO PROOF NAHNAHNAH It seems half your interactions here exist simply to offer up some twisted devil's advocate position, and it's derailed the topic several times, and it's irritating. I'm sorry your reading comprehension failed you. I'm not sorry for pointing out that you've been difficult in this topic and your presence isn't very enjoyable here.
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Post above mine: "We're getting a new head with the villain sets" My post: "it's the same head as the current ones" How is that not clear enough for you, Mr Guy-who-is-overly-difficult-for-no-reason-but-to-be-difficult? Do you have anything of worth to add to any of these discussions that's not something awfully contrary at all times?
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I have the head in front of me- that's definitely the current head.
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Roa was not at NYCC (though I am certain she would have been on the VIP list). She received the parts she used the same way I received the first batch of parts including the silver boomerangs: directly from TLG because of her prominence in the MOCing community. She has been under NDA involving the return of BIONICLE for a very long time. Regardless of how much I just do not enjoy the visual design of her MOCs, her talents and skills have always been on display and she's been a recognizable member of the MOCing community even amongst the system-only obsessed AFOL world for a long time. She's a talented engineer and her work displays her knack for interlocking structure and stability better than anyone else in the world. Regarding the image on the concept art poster, I know the concept of it as a face or mask was posted eons ago in Internet time, but the connection to that skull-like mask from the magazine insert is pretty uncanny. I definitely think there's a connection there.
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Battle for the Gold Mask Semi-finalists and Winner
dviddy replied to VBBN's topic in LEGO Action Figures
I don't think the winning MOC was worthy of even semi-finalist status, am exceptionally disappointed it was the overall winner. The "size over substance" problem and debate has been an intricate part of the BIONICLE building community since the early years, and I'm bummed TLG erred on the "size" side. Incredibly well engineered MOC, to be certain, and it's incredibly impressive how it all holds together sturdily and can do so many things- but it just looks messy, sloppy, with no coherent visual standard or design, and no attention paid to proportions whatsoever. I liked the snake one best out of the six, but I wish something with more character and style had taken the mask. I'm not one who buys into the "it takes a ton of sets to be good at building" people, and I don't think complaining about who has more parts or more access to parts others don't is a valid argument. But MOCs like this winning sure do send that message.