B S S - Rejected Suggestions
Entry posted by Nuhrii the Metruan
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The BIONICLE Story Squad (BSS) may soon do a topic in S&T where we can announce all our rejected canon submissions, but since the BSS wants you to know about all our decisions, I took the liberty to create this blog entry. So far, you have only seen topics about what has made it past us - here is what has been declined by us or Greg, along with our reasons why.
"Kanohi Amana" - Bioni-Cool Jack
Bioni-Cool Jack suggested to name the Mask of Elemental Energy "Kanohi Amana", based on some observations he made (spoilered for length, click to show).
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Hey there, Nuhrii. smile.gif
I see that the newly formed BSS is open to suggestions, so I thought it was a good time to try and pass out an old idea of mine. I tried suggesting this to Greg back in 2008 but he wasn't interested then, so here goes my second attempt.
The Amana Volo Sphere is a type of powerful globe that can restore one's health and boost their strength. The Volo Lutu Launcher is a type of catapult that can thrust anyone over large obstacles. Now, my first idea is to have these two meanings for the word "volo":
* boost
* transfer
You'll see that if you replace the word with either of its theoretical synonyms, it will make perfect sense as to the purpose of each object/device. The Amana Volo Sphere can boost one's strength, i.e. transfer energy to their being. In turn, the Volo Lutu Launcher can boost/thrust someone upward, or in other words transfer them from one location to another.
Now, if we assume that "volo" means these things, then let's look at the word "amana". If an Amana Volo sphere can restore one's power, then there's only a few logical definitions for the word, which in this case are contextual synonyms:
* energy
* strength
* power
Now there's a certain unusual Kanohi mask that's only been featured in BIONICLE: The Game as a power-up – the Mask of Elemental Energy. It's never been included in the story so far because of its odd power, and has remained unnamed. But if we assume that the aforementioned meanings are accurate, then we've got a splendid name for the mask – Kanohi Amana. It's simple, it's logical and sounds perfectly BIONICLE-like.
On a side note, let's look at Vorahk and his corresponding Kraata – Vo. If we assume that "vo" is derived from "volo", then we have a great explanation for the Rahkshi/Kraata’s power of hunger. It can drain its oponent’s energy, i.e. transfer their energy to itself, boosting its own power.
I look forward to hearing what you think.
Why was it rejected:
- the mask was deemed to trivial to be named
- some BSS memberes disagreed with the naming itself, to quote bonesiii: "When I read the topic title, I thought this would be about using the name "Amana" (referring to healing items) for the Mask of Healing Erebus proposed. I do not see why it would mean Elemental energy instead of healing, since healing is what Amana Volo spheres do... As far as I know, Amana Volo spheres would not affect elemental energy, but instead life energy, which is more in the category of healing... "
"Retroactively canonized Podu blog contest permission" - MatoroIgnika
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Okay, so I have a question. If I were to host a MoC contest on my blog, could I PM the winner and/or semifinalists to the BSS to then forward to Greg for canonization if deemed worthy, it would go off voting through the comments area? This question should be valid as it is not related to a currently hosted or BSS hosted contest, nor is it a PM. With that said I simply ask for an answer.
Thanks in advance.
Clarification of what the suggestion was: The idea was doing a blog contest for Podu and determining a winner, and afterwards there was supposed to be a poll on BZP asking "Do you want this MOC to be canon or not.[/b]
Why was it rejected:
- The only Greg-approved contest hosts are: BZPower/S&T, BS01 and KanohiJournal/The Chronicler. BSS will not get involved in any contests unless a contest hosts requests it. That also means that BSS will not host contests themselves!
- Allowing one such blog contest would open the floodgates for more requests of the like, and we don't want to get swamped.
- Allowing it would undermine our no-contests-rule.
- And as Tilius puts it: "You could add as a side note that it's obvious what pieces/colours Podu uses, so a contest is pointless anyway, since he's got a clearly established form and there's no room for creativity. So you'd get a contest with like twenty entries that would be exactly the same."
"A Vortixx named Xia" by Invader KLI
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Posted in this topic instead of PMing, but we took a vote on it nevertheless.
Why was it rejected?
- "Personally, I don't see the point in introducing another Vortixx into the story at this point. What could this "first Vortixx" do? Do we really need another obscure part of canon?" - Bioran23
- There has been no previous mention of the first Vortixx, so this would be making up an entirely new character instead of just naming an old one.
- There already are enough places named after characters
not sure if this goes here, but I remember a member suggestng something like the island of Xia was nmed after the first Vortixx/first leaderof Xia would be something to ask you guys.
So does i sound reasonable? It'd bring another Vortixx into the story, making a total of... 2 named
Why was it rejected?
- "Personally, I don't see the point in introducing another Vortixx into the story at this point. What could this "first Vortixx" do? Do we really need another obscure part of canon?" - Bioran23
- There has been no previous mention of the first Vortixx, so this would be making up an entirely new character instead of just naming an old one.
- There already are enough places named after characters
"Bring back Toa Ignika" by -Sephiroth-
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Sephiroth sent us a really well-written, I daresay brilliant essay about why Toa Ignika should return, which I will include here for those who are interested in what he had to say.
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Message Forwarded From -Sephiroth-
Hello Bonesiii,
this entire message is about something related to the Bionicle Story Squad: me giving my views and argumentation on the matter of Toa Ignika's existing once more. I asked if this was a case I could bring up for the BSS. They said I could, I just had to send it to any of the BSS members. Since I know you're a good listener and a fair debater, which I respect you for, I decided to send this to you.
Why Toa Ignika should exist once more
This might get fairly lengthy, so please forgive me for that. Before I start I’ll make it clear that it’s not my intent to bend the story to my wishes, I have neither the power or the desire to do so. After all, even with the BSS, Greg still decides. I have already spoken with Greg on this subject, though not in as much detail as I would have liked, and there were several misunderstandings and I wasn’t able to bring up all the arguments I have for this. Greg did make it clear that he had no plans to bring Toa Ignika back, and that saddens me greatly. But regardless of this, I still send you this argumentation, if only to find out of my reasoning behind this is understandable and not full of holes and flaws. Perhaps it could lead to a poll to find out if there are others but me who want this character to exist again, which might perhaps influence Greg to rethink his decision on this. But for this I will not hope.
I also make a difference between ‘existing’ and ‘appearing’ in terms of story. What I’m going to argue for is that Toa Ignika, canonically, exists again, as a being. NOT that he appears again in any story material or serial. You may ask why I bother with it at all then, but the answer is simple: there are many characters Greg can work with now. Not all will appear in the serials, I know this. Yet that doesn’t mean these characters no longer exists. They are still alive and having their own adventures, even if they don’t appear. What follows will be an argumentation to make the same count for the Ignika: to exist as a Toa in canon, knowing he’s out there learning and adventuring, though not necessarily appearing in story serials.
With that out of the way, I can proceed.
Toa Ignika should come into existence again. The Mask of Life needs to be freed from Mata Nui’s domination and be given back its free will and its right to act on its own, so that it can once again rise as the Toa of Life once more.
There are several reasons for this.
For me, the most important reason for Mata Nui to get out of there is simply because of the moral aspect of the whole situation. Spin it in any way you like, Mata Nui is actively, consciously – though maybe not 100% willingly – oppressing another sentient mind, basically keeping the Ignika’s mind trapped in its own mask, incapable of acting. Now let’s think about it, is oppression and preventing free thought and actions a proper way of rewarding the very same sentient object that saved Mata Nui’s life? Let’s not forget, if it weren’t for the Ignika, Mata Nui would have been doomed. The Ignika was vital for the survival of Mata Nui, and even for the success of his mission and the fulfilment of his destiny. And how does Mata Nui reward it? By keeping it oppressed.
I know of several counter-arguments that will be raised against this statement, and I’ll address those here and now. One such argument, given to me by Greg, is that it wasn’t Mata Nui’s choice to return to the Ignika. Fair enough. He didn’t choose to go back, this is true. However, he DID choose to stay in it and keep it oppressed.
“Yes, but Mata Nui is not a body-hopper like Makuta are, and there are no other bodies capable of keeping Mata Nui’s spirit!”
Correct. Greg told me that for Mata Nui to inhabit a soulless body or object, it needs to have AI programming at least of the complexity of the Ignika. Meaning, it needs to be capable of sustaining a mind. I asked if Bohrok could be a suitable host, but Greg said their AI wasn’t advanced enough.
“So you see, there are no other bodies for Mata Nui to inhabit and rest in, so he has no choice but to stay!”
Objection, your honour, if I may. There are no bodies at this very moment, since the MU just collapsed. This I can agree with. However, it is no excuse to not go look for another host for Mata Nui’s spirit, or make Mata Nui ask for such a thing. Yes, he wanted to stay away from the new society, but is changing resting places and freeing another mind from oppression really interfering? As an example body, I am confident a Maxilos Robot would be capable of hosting Mata Nui’s spirit. Yes, Mata Nui does not want to get involved in the new society. I know this. But having a functional body like that of a Maxilos does not mean he has to use it. If he wants to stay out of it all, he can do that, regardless of where his spirit is placed in. It all depends on his character.
With this, I consider the argument “He has no choice!” void. There are solutions to this problem, even if they can’t be accessed right away. But Mata Nui, in order to be fair, needs to at least give the indication that he wants a solution. Because there is a second moral aspect to this whole situation, aside from being unfair to the Ignika after all it has done. Namely, the pure fact that Mata Nui is oppressing (or “dominating” according to Bioniclesector01) another sentient mind into dormancy. Mata Nui, the hero, the champion of light and justice, the one who freed his people… Is now oppressing another being just like Teridax. Not exactly good behaviour for a Great Spirit of the light side, wouldn’t you say? Granted, Mata Nui is by no means malevolent, and his oppression of the Ignika isn’t a danger to anyone but the Ignika. But this is no excuse. The fact remains that he is oppressing a sentient being who has done nothing wrong. This can not be tolerated in a story that promotes justice and light. At least I don’t think so.
“But who says the Ignika minds it? It was created to serve Mata Nui, after all.”
Another argument of Greg. Again, true. But does it change the morally wrong aspect of things? Also, I do not approve of this reasoning, even if it comes from Greg. The Matoran, Toa, all MU inhabitants were all created to serve Mata Nui, too. But you don’t see Mata Nui oppressing them, now do you? So why is the Ignika singled out? Isn’t that, again, unfair to the Mask of Life, who has done nothing wrong to deserve such treatment? In fact, I believe that if Mata Nui were right now inside a Matoran or Toa oppressing said Matoran or Toa’s mind, all of BZPower would be in uproar because of the unfairness and injustice of it all. But with the Ignika, nobody seems to mind. It’s just an object, after all. Made to serve Mata Nui and nothing more.
Wrong.
The Ignika is not just an object. It’s a sentient object that has, as we could clearly seen since we’ve been introduced to it in 2006, over time slowly developed its own wants and needs (wants and needs more complex than its most basic desire of protection). We have seen it develop awareness of emotions (such as when it felt fear in 2007). We have seen it develop curiosity at what living is exactly. It was this curiosity, as well as its desire for protection and the admiration for Matoro that drove it to make a body for itself in 2008. Not Mata Nui’s will. It was decision it made on its own, fully independent, driven by more than just “because it was needed for Mata Nui”. Matoro made the Ignika curious about life. It wanted to feel what it was like to have emotions, to act on them, to be a being. It wanted to be more than an object! And when it was told to go back to its state as an object, it was reluctant to do so, but in the end did it for the greater good like a true hero. I honestly doubt, however, that the desire to be more than an object has disappeared.
This is why the Ignika is not just an object, and why it can not just be tolerated that it remains oppressed and incapable of doing what it wants. Because mere objects don’t think. They don’t want to be more than an object. The Ignika wants to be a living being. It stated this desire very clearly in 2008. It has spend, what, maybe four days as a Toa. Is there anybody who really believes that four days, four days of battles, are really enough to experience and feel all it desired to experience and feel?
The Ignika wanted to be a hero, which it succeeded in becoming. But it wanted friends, too. Greg has confirmed that the Ignika considered none of the characters in Karda Nui his friends. That’s one desire unfulfilled. It wanted to be trusted and respected, not needed and feared. Did it achieve this? I doubt it. The Nuva were weary of him, and in the end they needed the Ignika, not Toa Ignika. They needed the object, not the body. Another desire unfulfilled. It wanted to fight for others and not be fought over. It did fight for others, but it was fought over as an object, by the Makuta. Granted, not really by the Toa, so you could say this desire was partly fulfilled. But there’s so much more besides this to life. Even the Ignika probably realizes this. It wanted to be a true living being, it wanted to be one so it could feel everything a living being feels, all goods and bads. It hasn’t been able to do this just yet.
So therefore, it is only logical that, from the Ignika’s POV, it makes a body once more to continue the learning process it started in 2008. Ignika hasn’t even met any Matoran aside from Solek, Tanma and Photok and Shadow Matoran. Toa Ignika never came into contact with Matoran who would see him as a Toa, not as an object with a body like everybody in Karda Nui did. The Ignika wanted to be admired, honoured and respected. It can only achieve this if it becomes a Toa again, and meets beings who are not aware of its status as an object-with-a-body and as such will treat him like a real living being.
This is another one of my reasons why Toa Ignika should come back. It only makes sense that he does, and the many goals it wanted to achieve have not been achieved yet. These are loose ends. They too need to be tied up. Mata Nui offered all the MU inhabitants and Spherus Magna inhabitants a chance at a new, peaceful life. Except for the Ignika. Why? If it becomes a Toa once more, it can search for and find its place in this new society, too.
“But the Ignika is a dangerous object, who doesn’t understand living beings very well, if at all. Would you let it run loose?”
Another argument of Greg. My rebuttal is simple, really: if you don’t allow it to learn, how do you ever expect Ignika to understand living beings? Oppressing its mind surely will not help him understand. And as for the danger of having it run loose, I don’t see the problem. Yes, the Ignika is powerful and dangerous when provoked. And since it lacks understanding, it can be provoked quiet easily. But is it, at heart, evil? Not at all. It wants to lead a hero’s life, after all. He’s good. If he has patient people around him, and I refuse to believe there are none at all on Spherus Magna, I’m sure he’ll do just fine. And let us be honest, is Toa Ignika, who is inherently good and has good intentions, really such a danger, when we know there are Baterra, Skrall, Dark Hunters, Zyglak and who knows what else out there, lurking and ready to strike? In fact I would gladly welcome Ignika in our midst, as he makes for one powerful ally. Let us not forget he was the most powerful being in Karda Nui (said so by Greg), and defeated the Brotherhood of Makuta’s top fighter (Icarax) as if it were nothing. Ignika is dangerous only to the minions of evil, and a powerful fighter for the forces of light.
Also, concerning it being so-called “dangerous” to let it run loose, I see another flaw in this: the Ignika obeys Mata Nui. If Mata Nui tells it, commands it even, to not use its powers on or harm any good being, will it then not obey? The Ignika can easily be kept in check by Mata Nui, as proven by the story, so there’s in all actuality little danger at all for Spherus Magna should Toa Ignika walk its grounds.
So, to sum it up, Toa Ignika needs to return because:
- It’s morally correct, the Ignika has done nothing to deserve being oppressed
- The Ignika has many desires and needs that it wants to achieve as a living being
- There is little danger to it
- It would be a great asset to the forces of good on Spherus Magna
- It makes for one heck of a deep, interesting and intriguing story
Okay, that final reason is just a personal opinion of me, sorry. ^^”
Again, I repeat, I do not wish for Toa Ignika to appear in story serials. What I wish is for Toa Ignika to exist in story canon. There is a big difference between the two. I do not expect anything to come from me sending this to you, as Greg has made up his mind and said what he wanted to say on the matter. But I needed to get this off my chest, and I wanted to know if my reasoning is flawed. If I’m extremely lucky, maybe a poll asking for others’ opinions on this will be made, but I’m not holding my breath.
These were my arguments and views on this matter. Thanks for reading, it is much appreciated.
-Sephiroth-
Why was it rejected?
- Right now, there's no story reason for it.
- Greg (re-)introduces characters as he needs them. The BSS does not interfere with that, although we keep tabs on all "I want X to come back" PMs so we can inform Greg if one character is especially much in demand. I bolded this for those who wondered what became of their PMs saying "I want Lesovikk to return" (to name an example).
- And finally, Greg's comment: "I have no plans to bring him back anytime soon, NOT because I am opposed to it in principle, but because we have been doing Mask of Life for the last four years and I think we all need a break from it."
Still, we want to commend -Sephiroth- on his good thinking - it didn't work this time, yes, but good arguments is exactly what we want (though you probably should pay attention that you don't write it too extensive, as it may tire the reader).
"Golden Armor special powers" by .:Yio654:.
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Again, here is what has been sent to us (this time not that long):
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Message Forwarded From .:Yio654:.
Hi bonesiii
Congrats on being part of the story squad team! I read that fans can make reasonable suggestions provided they have a good reason behind it instead of PMing GregF so thought I'd PM this regarding small suggestion on the Golden Armour.
First off we know that the Golden armour does have one purpose and that might seem a bit disappointing as Tahu cannot use this again but I read on BS01 that it has other abilities as well. What I wanted to suggest was that it could amplify one's powers much like Takanuva's old lance, near that of a Toa Nuva. Why I believe this would be effective is that some fans might not feel demoralised that Tahu has weaker abilities than before and still retain's Nuva powers.
Anyway I hope you pass this on to the story team.
Thanks!
Yio654
Why was it rejected?
At first the Story Squad was very open to the idea, but we decided to wait until the final Journey's End chapter to see what powers Greg himself intended to give Tahu. After it was revealed that Tahu now has the powers of all the Kraata he killed, we felt forced to decline the idea because we wanted no superweapon.
Additional Notes
- In the past existing BIONICLE names have been assigned to characters or groups that had so far only been mentioned in story without being given a name (of course I am speaking of Naho, Nektann, and Toa Mangai). We, too, are getting some more of those and while we are open to them, the being or thing that gets named should have had some previous relevance in story. Note, though, that we are also trying to keep the amount of dupe names low, since we already have quite a few of them in story and especially when several trivial things have the same name, they get annoying.
- Proposals like "I want to create a character named X with the powers of Y and the traits Z" are bound to be rejected, since character creation is something only Greg may do. Plus, if you name a character, it is very likely your suggested name is not on Greg's soon-to-be-approved list, so he can't use it. Fan fictions or participation in the Expanded Multiverse may be more appropriate places to create your custom characters.
I hope this was helpful and informative for all readers. I intend to update this blog entry regularly or transfer it into a(n official?) S&T topic, but that is still to be decided.
NtM
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