Aanchir
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Makes me wonder what the Comic-Con reveal will be then. Hope it's Elves. I'm tremendously excited for the Elves theme now that I've seen pictures and realized that it's better than I ever dreamed of. It's kind of funny, then, that the colors AREN'T a coincidence, and that the LEGO Group is teasing BIONICLE with the same set of colors they used to tease the green Classic Spacemen in the Exo-Suit. :P
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I don't think there's anything lazy about it. If the designs themselves are just as creative either way, I don't see how what you call them makes a difference in their creativity. It's just a matter of whether a new tribe or an existing tribe is more fitting, and in this case, I think the Infernite tribe is a perfect fit for these fiery designs.
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If this theme were to get moved to another subforum, I think the best existing subforum would be action themes — the category that is generally used to house most not-quite-historic, not-quite-futuristic, not-quite-modern-day themes. However, this theme is much less action-oriented than a lot of those examples. Maybe it'd work if the Action Themes subforum were renamed "Adventure Themes" it'd work, but that might be seen as TOO all-encompassing. All things considered, I think it fits pretty well in Historic themes for right now, even if its world is based more on fantasy stories, myths, and folklore than on actual history.
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41073 and 41074 also seem to include several in Bright Yellowish Green (Lime), so at least there will be one new color for them in this theme that will be versatile in real-world creations. Personally, I love the purple leaves, as they help to establish this as a fantasy world. Same goes for the purple mushrooms, golden acorns, and the gems growing on many of the plants and trees.
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I've heard some praise of this from people who miss how masks would be available in such a wide range of colors back in 2001, so you're not entirely alone in liking the shared masks. Personally, I'm not totally sure what to think of them. It will probably depend on their story role. If they're meant to be generic villagers like Matoran, I would be somewhat frustrated with them having identical masks, as it makes it harder to visualize what distinguishing traits other villagers might have.
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I think you're right about Emily's identity. And I'll bet the human boy in 41074 is probably a friend or sibling. I think the reason for not using the Tinker Bell/Disney Fairies license is apparently DVD and merchandise sales have been declining. Two films in the franchise that were in development have been cancelled, and the MMOG released in 2008 closed last year. Even the Pixie Hollow attraction at Walt Disney World is apparently closed permanently as part of an ongoing expansion (which was originally going to include a new, larger Pixie Hollow area, but those plans were scrapped). I'm not saying the franchise hasn't been successful, but I think it's well past its peak and the LEGO Group would not have a lot to gain from seeking a license for it. Furthermore, it would not be that advantageous for the LEGO Group to make licensed products the majority of their girl-oriented product portfolio. They already have the Disney Princess license, but I think they stand to make more money on an in-house fantasy franchise like LEGO Ninjago where they have complete creative control and don't have to pay royalties.
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Yeah, crossovers are not at all proof that two franchises share a universe. Marvel and DC Comics have had multiple crossovers, but the shared universe in these stories is not canon outside of these stories. Hulk does not exist in the DC Comics universe, and Batman does not exist in the Marvel Comics universe, even though the characters have appeared in crossover comics together. Likewise, the LEGO Movie includes LEGO Batman as a character, but that doesn't mean that all LEGO Batman stories take place in The LEGO Movie's universe. In fact, there are plenty of LEGO crossover stories that directly contradict each other, like The LEGO Movie and Clutch Powers. You can't just arbitrarily declare that one is more canon than the other just because you prefer one universe to the other.
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I guess I can see where you're coming from, but from my perspective the inconvenience of rigid 3D packaging or cardboard boxes that are useless for storage after they've been flattened out undermines their display value (besides, I have no room to keep my huge collection of canisters on display — currently they're stacked in a huge box next to my bed taking up space). The pouches also have a smaller carbon footprint than the canisters and boxes that they replaced, though I suppose it's possible that the LEGO Group's cardboard boxes have caught up to them based on this news. All things considered, I really want to love the new cardboard packages. Like the beveled edges on the packages for the LEGO Friends sets or the folded cardboard packaging of year's Speedorz sets, they demonstrate great creativity with traditional packaging materials. But it will be very difficult for me to like them as much as the Hero Factory pouches if they can't meet or surpass the various practical advantages those packages offer.
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Except they DON'T use Tr. Yellow. Burnard was shown "in the brick" at NYCC, and the parts that look like Tr. Yellow in these low-quality renders are actually Tr. Bright Orange (just as the parts that look like Bright Reddish Violet/Magenta are actually Dark Red). I think it's extremely likely that these will be new Infernites rather than a new tribe, as every one of their colors is shared with the previous Infernites.
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I won't be able to decide until I can see the functionality of the new hexagonal packaging for myself. If it turns out that it can be resealed and collapsed flat without changing the ability to reuse it, then I think it has the potential to be at least as good as the resealable bags. If it fails in one or more of those areas, I think it will have a harder time meeting my expectations. The pouches ARE recyclable, but whether you can recycle them locally depends on what types of plastic your local recycling center accepts. The Hero Factory pouches have a resin identification code of 7. For comparison's sake, most BIONICLE canisters have a code of 1 and most BIONICLE canister lids have a code of 5. Personally, though, I wouldn't want to recycle my Hero Factory pouches. Why bother? Not only do they collapse flat when not in use (meaning they take up hardly any space), but the art has been getting more and more beautiful each year, to the point that the packages now feature gorgeous illustrations on both the top flap and the bottom of the package. I have more reason to recycle my BIONICLE canisters, which are taking up loads of space in my room, than to recycle my Hero Factory pouches.
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I like Onua's design, but I'm a bit bothered by the color scheme. The silver shoulder armor feels a bit out-of-place to me. I'm noticing what look like Technic half-pins with studs on both his weapon and his shoulders. They don't seem to be performing any obvious function. Perhaps included for a combi model of some kind? I can't help wondering if Lord of Skull Spiders has a Technic function. It seems plausible, since he uses rigid Technic so extensively in his legs, and has what looks like it could be a handle or trigger of some kind on his back. Of course, the legs could be explained as an attempt to make posing easier on a six-legged model. But I still think a Technic-intensive model like this with 149 pieces seems out-of-place among the other sets unless it has some sort of function.
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There are some people who have a limited budget to work with, and who didn't even bother to buy all the Toa from each series even back in the days of the old BIONICLE. I was lucky, since having two siblings, I only had to buy two out of every six sets to get to see, play with, and experience them all. Other people don't necessarily have that luxury, and have to be even more selective, especially with these prices being what they are.
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I mean attach like masks as in attach to heads in general. We can see the backs of them clearly in these photos, so there's no way that they attach to the top of the head, therefore the only way for them to function as masks is to attach to the front. Sorry if that was confusing.
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It has to, if the "Skull Spiders" are meant to attach like masks. I am beginning to believe that all or most of these masks attach from the front.
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You do realize that the entire story was essentially based on the giant robot concept from the beginning? Brick by Brick, pages 153–154 have the details, and Christian Faber's blog FaberFiles also has lots of related concept art dating back as far as 1999. If they had, in fact, had a meeting and decided not to pursue such a ridiculous idea, the BIONICLE theme as we know it would not have existed in the first place and we might have gotten some pitiful excuse for a story like Slizer/Throwbots and Roboriders had. Now, if you found other aspects of the finale, like the shattering and the subsequent reformation of Spherus Magna, unbelievable, well, that's more understandable. That stuff hadn't been as thoroughly explored back when the theme was first beginning. But Mata Nui's role as a giant robot that contained the entirety of the Matoran Universe was what the entire theme was built around.
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Actually, they totally are using Hero Factory torsos, AND some of them are using custom builds. The Protectors of Earth and Fire have a build that seems a lot like Frost Beast's, but more compact and built on a 6x5 torso beam (yes, I know the part name calls it 7x5, and I have no idea why that is).
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Entomology of the words? The words are bugs? Do you realize that pink dolphins actually exist in real life? Just do a Google image search for "Amazon River Dolphin". Most of the resulting images are pink-colored, sometimes with mottled purplish-gray patterns. Anyway, the sets and art direction for this theme look amazing. Elemental powers? Magical animal companions? If the final sets are as impressive as what I see here (and it has strong media support) I'll almost be tempted to collect this theme. It feels very much like a girlier version of the themes I already love, like BIONICLE and Ninjago, wrapped up in the trappings of the Narnia books (notice that the packaging includes what looks like a human girl in human clothes, and one of the sets also includes what looks like a human boy — our links to this fantasy world) and other childrens' and young adult fantasy tropes. If AFOLs can't appreciate this theme as a decidedly new endeavor for fantasy LEGO themes (too much estrogen or whatever), then it's their loss. I think this looks beautiful. I can only hope that it gets its own cartoon and book series so we can see this amazing world in even more depth. So far this theme has not only met but also exceeded my personal expectations. EDIT: Every time I look at this theme I see more amazing details. The squirrel has a NUT CATAPULT! Looks like Naida is a water elemental, Aira is an air elemental, Farran is an earth elemental (and I think... a boy? That's nice), and Azari is a fire elemental. They all seem like the most amazing characters and we haven't even heard anything about their personalities yet! The Elves' Treetop Hideaway seems to be where the portal is that the human characters use to access this world. I wonder what the human characters' names are. EDIT 2: There is a map with four magical keys on it and the keys seem to be spread throughout the sets. This IS the girls' answer to Ninjago that I dreamed of! I spent so much time doodling elemental fantasy races when I was in high school, you guys. High school me probably would have already bought every one of these sets if it had come out back then.
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So does Kopaka. Honestly, I'm not super impressed with that kind of variation. I'd kind of prefer if they all used the same torso shell for consistency's sake, no matter which they settled on. I mean, it's not like it results in a meaningful difference in their builds or proportions.
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OK, I'm definitely impressed with what I see! My thoughts: The protectors DEFINITELY have good piece counts (60–66). They use the new blasters creatively as well — Jungle uses it for a crossbow, Stone for a staff, Water for a diver propulsion vehicle, Earth in its torso, Ice as a simple cannon, and Fire on its shoulder. Earth and Fire have beefier torsos than the others. The Protector of Fire has a blended mask; I wonder if all of them will when the sets are finalized? The Toa look great, though. It's kind of a bummer that the big ones all use gold and the mid-size ones don't, but the color schemes all look great individually. Masks look amazing. Fans of classic BIONICLE's high-detail molds are going to love the new shell detail with the pistons and accordion joint. Heck, even I love it, and I'm a huge advocate for the newer and smoother shapes. It is the perfect compromise between detail and smoothness, not considerably more elaborate than the other shell detail pieces. A lot of weapon molds are shared between sets, which might bother some people, but I like seeing how they use the same parts in different ways. Piece counts for the Toa are a mixed bag. Lewa and Gali have suitable piece counts for the $15 price point, but Pohatu is straggling a bit with just 65 pieces — less than the corresponding Protector. o_O As for the $20 sets, their piece counts are not all that impressive. 99, 98, and 109 — all better than the $20 Chima constraction sets, but not by much. And if Lord of Skull Spiders is in fact a $15 set, one has to wonder how it manages a piece count of 149. Besides, of course, that it appears to boast a Technic function of some kind. What a lot of people thought to be white or tan on Pohatu actually appears to be silver — a possibility I was sort of considering. The Skull Spiders look suitably fearsome, as does their leader. Have you noticed that its name on the package is "Skull Krata"? Possibly preliminary (it's hard to imagine that every set name listing we've seen before is wrong), but that might excite older BIONICLE fans. The packaging all DOES seem to be similar to the current Speedorz packages, with an elaborately folded cardboard box for each. I'm cool with that, though it'll be a shame if it's not resealable. Overall, I'm extremely pleased, but that doesn't mean I don't have any misgivings. I hope there are still aspects of these sets we haven't seen that might answer some of our lingering questions.
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I don't think the power of creation is too great for the theme's first wave, necessarily — especially since in the event of a reboot, the powers of such a mask could be defined or limited in whatever manner the writers choose. Even though it wasn't used in the story, the Mask of Time and some of its limitations were defined as early as 2001. And I agree, creation is definitely a powerful theme for any LEGO theme to work with. Even Ninjago, which has very little emphasis on building within its storytelling, introduced the most powerful Spinjitzu technique as the "Tornado of Creation" in its very first year. So the Mask of Creation would be a good fit for one of the new BIONICLE's most powerful artifacts on a thematic level. But I do think that people who assume that the mask HAS to be something of the same power level as the Mask of Life or the Mask of Time are jumping to conclusions. Whether it's a reboot or a continuation, the new BIONICLE will effectively be a fresh start, so there's no reason the first special mask in the theme needs to have the power to destroy the universe like the Mask of Life did. There are a lot of people who are assuming that if the new mask ISN'T the Mask of Creation, it has to be something else as powerful or more so than the Mask of Life and Mask of Time, and I find that patently ridiculous.
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I'm not sure how you see it as more green than blue. It's much less greenish than the classic Bright Bluish Green (teal/dark turquoise) from BIONICLE and Technic sets. In fact, it looks all the world like a solid-colored version of classic Transparent Light Blue, which the LEGO Group has taken advantage of in sets like Emma's Splash Pool, Tiger's Beautiful Temple, and Jungle Falls Rescue.
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So Argos Aren't Really That Good With LEGO Online...
Aanchir replied to CrazyDalton777's topic in Buy, Sell, Trade and Finds
This is a rather minor thing to criticize. If I had to criticize anything about the Argos website with regard to LEGO, it'd be that their Ninjago splash page hasn't been updated since 2011, and the videos at the top that used to be one of the most interesting features of the page (one included some interesting preliminary story and set info and images) no longer seem to exist. Its only current purpose is a guide to sets that they no longer even stock. -
Yep, I think I've seen both of those! There's also a LEGO Equestria group on Flickr that includes some other MOCs of My Little Pony scenes and characters. It's not that large, though.
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I'm sure its popularity is dwindling, yes. Happens to most themes, especially once they've been around for three or more years. But I think this is happening at a fairly steady rate — if its popularity were plummeting rapidly, there'd probably be far fewer sets this year than there were last year (as it is, there are about the same number of sets, not counting multi-set value packs, and the total cost of the full Invasion from Below series is actually higher than the Brain Attack series). I think a lot of people will try to use BIONICLE's return to suggest that Hero Factory failed. Don't make that mistake. If the theme had failed, it would have been cancelled after its first three years (actual LEGO employees said as much in interviews back in 2011). The fact that they kept it going for two years longer than that proves it had staying power — maybe not as much as BIONICLE, but more than a lot of other successful LEGO themes such as Atlantis, Power Miners, and Agents.
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It's a building event a lot of AFOL communities do in September where you build a massive spaceship. Generally, SHIP is capitalized and stands for "Significantly Huge Investment of Parts". A SHIP is normally defined as a spaceship at least 100 modules (80 centimeters/31.5 inches) in length.