Chat With Greg Farshtey

[Hapori Tohu]

Greg Farshtey may not be able to post on BZPower anymore, but it looks like there is one place he can still interact with fans. Over on the LEGO Message Boards, there's a topic encouraging members to ask questions of the long-time LEGO author. If you have anything that's been on your mind about Bionicle, Hero Factory, or Ninjago, here's your chance to maybe find out!View the full article

[Toa Zaz]

Well, technically he can still vicariously interact with fans on here by PMing certain members, but he chooses not too.

[~garnira returns~]

Say, has anyone found a reply from greg? if so, what page is it on?

[BBBBalta]

Poor Greg. I wouldn't wish dealing with the LEGO Message Boards on anyone.

 

Wonder what this means for BS01's Q&A sessions with Greg?

[Kanakalackin]

I asked a few questions myself. Here they are:

 

 

As a representative from BZPower, one of the worlds largest BIONICLE fan communities, it would be an honor for you to answer these questions:

1. Will you be continuing the serials?
2. If you are, where would you post them? BZPower? BioSector01?
3. Do you like MOCing?
4. Is there any chance of BIONICLE possibly having a reboot? It would be awesome if generations far beyond ours could have a chance to build with BIONICLE.
5. If it can have a reboot, would it be done with the new balljoint/cup system? This system works really well, and if a BIONICLE reboot used them, a lot of problems would be solved.

Thank you for taking the time to read these questions and answer them. It means a lot to the fan community.

-Phantom Terror (BZPower name: Wasp)

Edited July 6, 2013 by Wasp

[Gamzee Makara]

I read about ten posts there before I started praising creation for the BZPower community. I wish luck to Greg in finding the good, solid questions in between the emoticons and the overzealous abundance of exclamation points.

 

Regardless, it's great to know we still have opportunities to hear from the great guy.

[Hexann]

Lego Message Boards......poor, poor, Greg.....

[Neelh]

It wasn't too long ago when I thought that those sorts of posts were "cool" and now I'm just an oft-ignored voice of reason there.

 

It's fun though. A bit like playing with kids who punch you an awful lot.

[Van Hohenheim]

poor greg. I weep for him, having to deal with stuff like this on the lego message board:

 

 

 

HOORAY GREG FARSHTEY!!!!!! I'VE BEEN READING THE WEB OF THE VISORAK. AND IT WAS SOOOO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

seriously. I wouldn't have even considered the Lego forums for something like this. if I were Greg, I would have contacted B6 to get the account unbanned. at least he wouldn't have to deal with generic spam like above

[Spicy Salmon Samurai]

Just to clear things up for myself, why was Greg banned? I wasn't here when it happened, and I can't seem to find the info elsewhere.

[ToaN]

Are we allowed to discuss why Greg was banned? Technically your not supposed to discuss banned members.

Edited July 6, 2013 by ToaN

[Van Hohenheim]

if I am allowed to educate you on banned members...

 

Greg's account was banned because a hacker got into it and spread lies. on april first. yeah, that was a hullabaloo

[~garnira returns~]

@dovakhiin

 

 

 

GREG WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOOOU!!! Sorry, I'm a crazy impatient fanboy.

Yeah...

Edited July 6, 2013 by ~garnira returns~

[Sir Kohran]

Just to clear things up for myself, why was Greg banned? I wasn't here when it happened, and I can't seem to find the info elsewhere.

 

This topic should make it clear.

[Jedi Knight Krazy]

I'm on the second page of the topic and I've yet to see a question that I don't know the answer to already. I'm so sorry, Greg.

[Toa Zaz]

1. Stop hating on the Lego Message Boards. It's unstructured and full of a bunch of annoying kids who don't really know what they're talking about, and the commenting system is a huge pain, but it's lot more fun and open than here. On those boards they're all "have fun," whereas here more often than not the primary focus of anything appears to be the deity-like staff punishing members for often ridiculous trasgressions. Nobody says it's dumb to want Bionicle to come back; everybody is a Bionicle fan there. I personally haven't gone in forever just because of the lack of interesting discussion, but in many ways it's much better than BZPower.

 

2. Greg Farshtey deliberately quit writing the story serials and communicating with fans on here in any way, even though he was given ample time and opportunity (don't deny it, freakin' Hillary Clinton could have finished a new chapter in this time) to do so, because he didn't want to anymore. Despite the fan's devotion and oftentimes bordering worship of him, he quit because he didn't feel like talking to you and writing stories anymore. I mean, if he wants to retire, what can you do? (although a better writer would have finished his material first). However, if he was to retire he should have made some kind of formal announcement instead of just leaving us hanging. This can possibly be attributed to Greg's arrogant presumption that he is a great writer (he is not) and, at least in the eyes of his fans, he can do no wrong. This is demonstrated in his reaction to the whole Toa of Psionics gender mix-up, where instead of just admitting that he screwed up his own material and fixing it, he had to come up with some terrible and unintentionally offensive explanation. The point is, Greg doesn't care about us fans enough to continue his work to its conclusion, so stop drooling all over him.

 

3. As there's been no indication that Greg will continue the story serials, I have no idea why he's resuming communication with fans. This is also why I have little interest in this news. It'll probably all go something like this:

 

HEY GREGGGGGG!!!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST WRITER EVERRRRR!!!!!! GREG FOREVS!!!!!!!!!!! ILY LOL HOW MANY GLATORIAN ARE THERE?!?!?!?!!????

 

Don't care.

 

Over-enthusiastic fans asking stupid, pointless questions and being given curt, rude, and unsatisfying answers from Greg, who throughout will demonstrate his lack of gratitude to the support he's received from the fan community.

[Mare Tranquillitatis]

The posts I've seen... How can people even imagine to ask things like those? Not only the questions are mostly trivial or repeatedly already answered, but someone also puts nearly no thought in those. Some don't even know who he is...

 

Say, has anyone found a reply from greg? if so, what page is it on?

I found his first replies at page 5.

[Kopekemaster]

 

I asked a few questions myself. Here they are:

 

 

As a representative from BZPower, one of the worlds largest BIONICLE fan communities, it would be an honor for you to answer these questions:

1. Will you be continuing the serials?
2. If you are, where would you post them? BZPower? BioSector01?
3. Do you like MOCing?
4. Is there any chance of BIONICLE possibly having a reboot? It would be awesome if generations far beyond ours could have a chance to build with BIONICLE.
5. If it can have a reboot, would it be done with the new balljoint/cup system? This system works really well, and if a BIONICLE reboot used them, a lot of problems would be solved.

Thank you for taking the time to read these questions and answer them. It means a lot to the fan community.

-Phantom Terror (BZPower name: Wasp)

 

 

He just answered your question, by the way.

 

I asked a few questions myself, which haven't yet been answered.

 

It is annoying how many questions I myself was able to answer in my mind just reading through.

[Kanakalackin]

Well, my questions were answered, but not exactly pleasingly.

[Sir Kohran]

Well, my questions were answered, but not exactly pleasingly.

 

To save everyone having to find it, here's the answer to the question about continuing the serials:

 

 

"I have no plans to at this point. I don't have the time and there is no push from LEGO to continue the work at this point."

 

 

Well, there we have it.

[ToaN]

 

Well, my questions were answered, but not exactly pleasingly.

 

To save everyone having to find it, here's the answer to the question about continuing the serials:

 

 

"I have no plans to at this point. I don't have the time and there is no push from LEGO to continue the work at this point."

 

 

Well, there we have it.

 

 

So unless Lego reboots Bionicle, we may never have any more official Bionicle storyline.

 

Its up to us to keep the legend alive, guys.

[BBBBalta]

2. Greg Farshtey deliberately quit writing the story serials and communicating with fans on here in any way, even though he was given ample time and opportunity (don't deny it, freakin' Hillary Clinton could have finished a new chapter in this time) to do so, because he didn't want to anymore. Despite the fan's devotion and oftentimes bordering worship of him, he quit because he didn't feel like talking to you and writing stories anymore. I mean, if he wants to retire, what can you do? (although a better writer would have finished his material first). However, if he was to retire he should have made some kind of formal announcement instead of just leaving us hanging. This can possibly be attributed to Greg's arrogant presumption that he is a great writer (he is not) and, at least in the eyes of his fans, he can do no wrong. This is demonstrated in his reaction to the whole Toa of Psionics gender mix-up, where instead of just admitting that he screwed up his own material and fixing it, he had to come up with some terrible and unintentionally offensive explanation. The point is, Greg doesn't care about us fans enough to continue his work to its conclusion, so stop drooling all over him.

 

That's not entirely true. My understanding is that he quit writing the serials because he was busy with other stuff, both family- and work-related. The reason he stopped actively interacting with the fanbase is related to legal issues presented by COPPA that LEGO wishes to avoid. And the idea that he "quit [...] communicating with the fans on here in any way" is simply false. He's relayed a decent amount of information to us through the BS01 staff - the identity of the GB, the purpose of the Red Star, prefixes for elements we didn't have them for, and a bunch of other stuff.

 

I would comment on your first point but I feel like I'll wind up saying something I'll regret.

[Aanchir]

Well, good to know that Greg is still engaging with the fans. I went ahead and asked eleven questions that I didn't see anybody else asking. I hope he answers them.

[The Legendary TNT]

I asked him about the element lords and...he...never answered me back.

[Van Hohenheim]

 

 

Greg Farshtey deliberately quit writing the story serials and communicating with fans on here in any way,

well, what would you have done in his situation? he has a wife and a daughter to support, and writing serials for a dead toy line isn't going to get food on the table.

[Aanchir]

 

Greg Farshtey deliberately quit writing the story serials and communicating with fans on here in any way,

well, what would you have done in his situation? he has a wife and a daughter to support, and writing serials for a dead toy line isn't going to get food on the table.

 

He and his wife are actually no longer together according to his Amazon.com bio. Regardless, I don't blame him for not prioritizing the BIONICLE story. It was probably a mistake on his part to think he could continue the BIONICLE story effectively, what with the challenge of satisfying an audience that was constantly shrinking and that couldn't even agree what it was they wanted from the BIONICLE story.

[Cambion]

Over-enthusiastic fans asking stupid, pointless questions and being given curt, rude, and unsatisfying answers from Greg, who throughout will demonstrate his lack of gratitude to the support he's received from the fan community.

support?

 

do you mean "endless whining about how he's not giving us what we deserve"?

 

because that's really all i'm seeing.

[Sinclair]

1. Stop hating on the Lego Message Boards. It's unstructured and full of a bunch of annoying kids who don't really know what they're talking about, and the commenting system is a huge pain, but it's lot more fun and open than here. On those boards they're all "have fun," whereas here more often than not the primary focus of anything appears to be the deity-like staff punishing members for often ridiculous trasgressions. Nobody says it's dumb to want Bionicle to come back; everybody is a Bionicle fan there. I personally haven't gone in forever just because of the lack of interesting discussion, but in many ways it's much better than BZPower.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_manmryEgBi1rf19v3o1_500.gif I could swear I've seen you post this in like every thread on the site. Why are you still here if this is such a fascist dictatorship?

Edited July 6, 2013 by Sinclair

[Underscore]

Well, this is certainly...whats the word...

 

Good to see he's still comunicating with lego fans and even answering Bionicle questions.

[The Legendary TNT]

 

 

Greg Farshtey deliberately quit writing the story serials and communicating with fans on here in any way,

well, what would you have done in his situation? he has a wife and a daughter to support, and writing serials for a dead toy line isn't going to get food on the table.

 

He and his wife are actually no longer together according to his Amazon.com bio. Regardless, I don't blame him for not prioritizing the BIONICLE story. It was probably a mistake on his part to think he could continue the BIONICLE story effectively, what with the challenge of satisfying an audience that was constantly shrinking and that couldn't even agree what it was they wanted from the BIONICLE story.

 

That's a shame they're not together anymore. I feel bad for Greg now.

[tahukan]

No need for me to ask him on THOSE message boards I've asked him via phone before

[The Legendary TNT]

No need for me to ask him on THOSE message boards I've asked him via phone before

Wait, what!?!? You have his phone number?!?!?!

[Toa Zaz]

 

Over-enthusiastic fans asking stupid, pointless questions and being given curt, rude, and unsatisfying answers from Greg, who throughout will demonstrate his lack of gratitude to the support he's received from the fan community.

support?

 

do you mean "endless whining about how he's not giving us what we deserve"?

 

because that's really all i'm seeing.

 

Really? All I see is people saying "Greg you're the best writer ever" and "Greg you're such a boss" and "Greg where does your epicness end?" and Greg giving a snappy answer to their questions without a thank-you or anything.

 

1. Stop hating on the Lego Message Boards. It's unstructured and full of a bunch of annoying kids who don't really know what they're talking about, and the commenting system is a huge pain, but it's lot more fun and open than here. On those boards they're all "have fun," whereas here more often than not the primary focus of anything appears to be the deity-like staff punishing members for often ridiculous trasgressions. Nobody says it's dumb to want Bionicle to come back; everybody is a Bionicle fan there. I personally haven't gone in forever just because of the lack of interesting discussion, but in many ways it's much better than BZPower.

 

 

I could swear I've seen you post this in like every thread on the site. Why are you still here if this is such a fascist dictatorship?

 

Because maybe if I pester them enough the staff will actually follow through with some of the changes that they've been promising for forever.

[Sinclair]

Because maybe if I pester them enough the staff will actually follow through with some of the changes that they've been promising for forever.

If you actually want change, actually campaigning for it might be a lot more effective. But I suspect you're not really interested in that.

[BBBBalta]

Really? All I see is people saying "Greg you're the best writer ever" and "Greg you're such a boss" and "Greg where does your epicness end?" and Greg giving a snappy answer to their questions without a thank-you or anything.

Ever think there's a possibility that Greg actually doesn't want to promote spam?

Because maybe if I pester them enough the staff will actually follow through with some of the changes that they've been promising for forever.

And maybe they'd be more likely to listen to you if you voiced your opinions in places designated for them - this Tracker ticket, for instance. Edited July 6, 2013 by Baltarc

[-Windrider-]

 

Because maybe if I pester them enough the staff will actually follow through with some of the changes that they've been promising for forever.

And maybe they'd be more likely to listen to you if you voiced your opinions in places designated for them - this Tracker ticket, for instance.

 

 

Yeah, that ticket is a good place to start. I'm wiling to bet many people have voiced concerns similar to yours in there. If you feel like your suggestions will get lost, you're welcome to start up your own tickets for your specific suggestions!

 

Also - I know that Black Six really does read and consider all the PMs that he gets. If going straight to him is too intimidating, I'm always open for listening to people's concerns, discussing them, and, if appropriate, passing them on to the rest of the staff.

 

Anyway, please try to stay on topic here!

[Sir Kohran]

 

Really? All I see is people saying "Greg you're the best writer ever" and "Greg you're such a boss" and "Greg where does your epicness end?" and Greg giving a snappy answer to their questions without a thank-you or anything.

Ever think there's a possibility that Greg actually doesn't want to promote spam?

 

I wouldn't say praising someone (even if it's a little silly) counts as 'spam'. And I would say that Greg seemed a little...aloof in some of his responses.

 

Perhaps there's a reason Kopaka's his favourite character.

[Dorek]

I'm sure Greg will be able to give more than satisfactory answers to the questions in the LEGO message board, but these are definitely not the questions that BZP will be interested in, and in fact, probably already know the answers to. I'm glad Greg is still reaching out to the fanbase, even in these limited, one-off interactions, and that he's still writing for LEGO in general; there's a Hero Factory guide book coming out in August that I'm very excited for.

People will remember Greg however they want to, in the end. I always remember him as a polite, enthusiastic, but ultimately overworked man who didn't budget his time particularly well in the end, despite best intentions. He has since kept his general profile much lower, which I think is healthier for his work.

[Dralcax]

Ugh... The Lego message boards?

 

"IS BIONICLE IN THE SAME UNIVERSE AS HERO FACTORY", "WHO IS GREG FARSHETY" and "DO YOU LIKE PIZZA" are just a few of the questions I saw on there. It's something, though, but I don't think he's answered the pizza one yet.

[Just A Dot]

Ugh... The Lego message boards?

 

"IS BIONICLE IN THE SAME UNIVERSE AS HERO FACTORY", "WHO IS GREG FARSHETY" and "DO YOU LIKE PIZZA" are just a few of the questions I saw on there. It's something, though, but I don't think he's answered the pizza one yet.

He did, and said his favorite pizza place is about a half hour from his house.