Hero Factory (HBS?) and Old-School Bionicle

[Regitnui]

OK, I haven't been here for a while, but can anyone tell me how well the Hero Factory (Hero Builder System) works and fits with the old-school Technic Bionicle? Masks, ball-joints, plus-rods, etc.

 

And Apologies to the admins if this topic is in the wrong place.

 

[randomreviewerbros]

Ok well it works pretty much the exact same way as the old parts did, they just have a lot more strength in the joints so they don't crack and fall apart at all, it is a very good building system I must say, and it was definitely the highlight of Hero Factory

[Element Lord of Milk]

Balljoints work in seamlessly, but you'd have a harder time adding pins and axles. There are no basic bone pieces with axle holes and most don't even have pin holes. The shells also use lightsaber-sized rod connections.

[Chro]

It's perfectly fine.

[Aanchir]

People often treat the lack of Technic connections on many Hero Factory parts as a big deal, but it's really not. A lot of Hero Factory beams have as many or more connection points than many BIONICLE beams (just compare this with this). And although usually more of those connection points tend to be ball joints, you can easily convert a single ball joint into THREE axle holes with just a single piece: a basic Y-joint.

 

You definitely WON'T be able to use the same exact techniques to build and armor a Hero Factory figure as you would have used on a BIONICLE figure. There is no way to snap a Piraka thigh shell to a typical Hero Factory beam, for instance. But that doesn't mean the parts are incompatible, any more than it means that such parts are incompatible with Toa Nuva parts. You just need to recognize the differences in the building styles and adapt accordingly.

 

All the connection points in Hero Factory have more or less the same form factor as earlier BIONICLE parts. So a Hero Factory axle hole is the same as a BIONICLE axle hole, and a Hero Factory pin hole is the same as a BIONICLE pin hole. The biggest difference as far as connection points are concerned is that a Hero Factory ball cup no longer allows a pin or cross axle to pass through the circular holes on either side of the ball. However, this sacrifice is more than worthwhile since it means that the new ball cups are much less fragile than the older ones.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Yeah, from what I have seen the CCBS is really versatile. Makes great action figures and combined with the older technic model people have created some really excellent Mocs. I'm excited to see what the new Bionicle sets do with this building system.

 

-NotS

[Regitnui]

How about kanohi and the new head/helmet? (Mata Nui, I sound old. 'New' from 5 years ago)

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

How about kanohi and the new head/helmet? (Mata Nui, I sound old. 'New' from 5 years ago)

That, unfortunately, is not compatible. The 2010 Hero Factory sets uses a head piece akin to the Glatorian, but the following years all use a completely new head piece I believe. 

 

-NotS

[fishers64]

The glatorian heads were used up through Breakout wave. I own two from that wave.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

I guess that makes sense, I forgot Breakout used the same helmets as the original wave. However, I think 2.0 and 3.0 used a different head mold. 

 

-NotS

[Lyichir]

 

How about kanohi and the new head/helmet? (Mata Nui, I sound old. 'New' from 5 years ago)

That, unfortunately, is not compatible. The 2010 Hero Factory sets uses a head piece akin to the Glatorian, but the following years all use a completely new head piece I believe. 

 

-NotS

 

The 2011 sets indeed used a new head with fairly limited connections, but the 2012 sets went back to the Glatorian head (much to my regret, since the Glatorian head remained as fragile as ever, unlike the newer parts). And in 2013 they introduced a very versatile (though completely undetailed) head with attachment points on the front, sides, AND top.

 

The 2013 head is VERY similar to the Glatorian head, and many of the old masks and helmets should fit onto it even if the newer head has no face and the slightly different proportions mean not all masks fit snugly.

 

Of course, I have reason to suspect that the new Bionicle may come with an entirely new headpiece. If so, there's no telling how compatible it is or isn't with past mask and helmet designs.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Lyichir

[bioniclepluslotr]

People often treat the lack of Technic connections on many Hero Factory parts as a big deal, but it's really not. A lot of Hero Factory beams have as many or more connection points than many BIONICLE beams (just compare this with this). And although usually more of those connection points tend to be ball joints, you can easily convert a single ball joint into THREE axle holes with just a single piece: a basic Y-joint.

 

You definitely WON'T be able to use the same exact techniques to build and armor a Hero Factory figure as you would have used on a BIONICLE figure. There is no way to snap a Piraka thigh shell to a typical Hero Factory beam, for instance. But that doesn't mean the parts are incompatible, any more than it means that such parts are incompatible with Toa Nuva parts. You just need to recognize the differences in the building styles and adapt accordingly.

 

All the connection points in Hero Factory have more or less the same form factor as earlier BIONICLE parts. So a Hero Factory axle hole is the same as a BIONICLE axle hole, and a Hero Factory pin hole is the same as a BIONICLE pin hole. The biggest difference as far as connection points are concerned is that a Hero Factory ball cup no longer allows a pin or cross axle to pass through the circular holes on either side of the ball. However, this sacrifice is more than worthwhile since it means that the new ball cups are much less fragile than the older ones.

Regarding the photo links, the Bionicle ones definitely have a lot more variety in bone pieces. HF ones are all exactly like that with no variety other than length.

[Aanchir]

 

People often treat the lack of Technic connections on many Hero Factory parts as a big deal, but it's really not. A lot of Hero Factory beams have as many or more connection points than many BIONICLE beams (just compare this with this). And although usually more of those connection points tend to be ball joints, you can easily convert a single ball joint into THREE axle holes with just a single piece: a basic Y-joint.

 

You definitely WON'T be able to use the same exact techniques to build and armor a Hero Factory figure as you would have used on a BIONICLE figure. There is no way to snap a Piraka thigh shell to a typical Hero Factory beam, for instance. But that doesn't mean the parts are incompatible, any more than it means that such parts are incompatible with Toa Nuva parts. You just need to recognize the differences in the building styles and adapt accordingly.

 

All the connection points in Hero Factory have more or less the same form factor as earlier BIONICLE parts. So a Hero Factory axle hole is the same as a BIONICLE axle hole, and a Hero Factory pin hole is the same as a BIONICLE pin hole. The biggest difference as far as connection points are concerned is that a Hero Factory ball cup no longer allows a pin or cross axle to pass through the circular holes on either side of the ball. However, this sacrifice is more than worthwhile since it means that the new ball cups are much less fragile than the older ones.

Regarding the photo links, the Bionicle ones definitely have a lot more variety in bone pieces. HF ones are all exactly like that with no variety other than length.

 

Yes, that's sort of the idea. The basic shells and beams are supposed to be to constraction what basic bricks and plates are to System or basic beams, pins, and axles are to Technic. There are still a number of more detailed and specialized designs like this, this, and this which are used to add shaping and detail, but the foundation of the building system is meant to be generic and interchangeable.

 

That's the whole point of having a system: being able to use a more or less consistent range of basic building blocks to create a wide variety of unique creations.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Aanchir

[Lyichir]

 

People often treat the lack of Technic connections on many Hero Factory parts as a big deal, but it's really not. A lot of Hero Factory beams have as many or more connection points than many BIONICLE beams (just compare this with this). And although usually more of those connection points tend to be ball joints, you can easily convert a single ball joint into THREE axle holes with just a single piece: a basic Y-joint.

 

You definitely WON'T be able to use the same exact techniques to build and armor a Hero Factory figure as you would have used on a BIONICLE figure. There is no way to snap a Piraka thigh shell to a typical Hero Factory beam, for instance. But that doesn't mean the parts are incompatible, any more than it means that such parts are incompatible with Toa Nuva parts. You just need to recognize the differences in the building styles and adapt accordingly.

 

All the connection points in Hero Factory have more or less the same form factor as earlier BIONICLE parts. So a Hero Factory axle hole is the same as a BIONICLE axle hole, and a Hero Factory pin hole is the same as a BIONICLE pin hole. The biggest difference as far as connection points are concerned is that a Hero Factory ball cup no longer allows a pin or cross axle to pass through the circular holes on either side of the ball. However, this sacrifice is more than worthwhile since it means that the new ball cups are much less fragile than the older ones.

Regarding the photo links, the Bionicle ones definitely have a lot more variety in bone pieces. HF ones are all exactly like that with no variety other than length.

 

Firstly, the value of variety in length shouldn't be understated. The lack of that was one of Bionicle's building system's greatest weaknesses—despite the wide range of upper and lower limb pieces, Bionicle only ever really had two different lengths of each. Hero Factory's wide range of bone sizes allows for the basic proportions of a model to be more easily adjusted, which can be exceptionally useful.

 

And the reason the bone pieces are so basic is that, like the Toa Metru or Toa Inika upper leg beams, they're meant to be covered in many cases. The CCBS (the official name for the new building system used in all action figure themes since its introduction in 2011) features a more robust variety of shell elements, such as this, this, this, this, this, or this.

 

You might notice that despite coming in various sizes and shapes, many of the parts I linked feature the same smooth, curved aesthetic. This is another of the strengths of the Hero Factory system—like the way the bones allow for different proportions on a model while sticking to a unified system, the shells mostly look similar to one another to allow a builder to focus first on the shaping of the model without worrying about clashing textures or motifs. That's not to say that there aren't options for a more detailed aesthetic, though. For that, there are shell detail elements that attach to the shells via 3.2 mm bar connections (the same sort as is featured on minifigure weapons and accessories). Examples of the diversity of these detail elements include this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and this. As you can see, some of these simply sit on top of shells to provide texture or other details, while some wrap around shells to provide further shaping for parts like shoulders. Some even feature additional attachment points for things like weapons.

[25K Now!]

I remember reading somewhere about how the system is standardised or something and therefore cheaper to make?

 

This was just something I read somewhere, so I'm not sure.

[Aanchir]

I remember reading somewhere about how the system is standardised or something and therefore cheaper to make?

 

This was just something I read somewhere, so I'm not sure.

I don't honestly know whether it's actually any cheaper to make (I suppose it ought to be at least a bit cheaper since there's not so much wasteful introduction of brand-new molds for use in one set and one set only), but its level of standardization is indeed one of the main things that sets the CCBS apart from previous BIONICLE sets.

[bioniclepluslotr]

I don't like standardization. It makes things look... standard.

 

 

People often treat the lack of Technic connections on many Hero Factory parts as a big deal, but it's really not. A lot of Hero Factory beams have as many or more connection points than many BIONICLE beams (just compare this with this). And although usually more of those connection points tend to be ball joints, you can easily convert a single ball joint into THREE axle holes with just a single piece: a basic Y-joint.

You definitely WON'T be able to use the same exact techniques to build and armor a Hero Factory figure as you would have used on a BIONICLE figure. There is no way to snap a Piraka thigh shell to a typical Hero Factory beam, for instance. But that doesn't mean the parts are incompatible, any more than it means that such parts are incompatible with Toa Nuva parts. You just need to recognize the differences in the building styles and adapt accordingly.

All the connection points in Hero Factory have more or less the same form factor as earlier BIONICLE parts. So a Hero Factory axle hole is the same as a BIONICLE axle hole, and a Hero Factory pin hole is the same as a BIONICLE pin hole. The biggest difference as far as connection points are concerned is that a Hero Factory ball cup no longer allows a pin or cross axle to pass through the circular holes on either side of the ball. However, this sacrifice is more than worthwhile since it means that the new ball cups are much less fragile than the older ones.

Regarding the photo links, the Bionicle ones definitely have a lot more variety in bone pieces. HF ones are all exactly like that with no variety other than length.

 

Firstly, the value of variety in length shouldn't be understated. The lack of that was one of Bionicle's building system's greatest weaknesses—despite the wide range of upper and lower limb pieces, Bionicle only ever really had two different lengths of each. Hero Factory's wide range of bone sizes allows for the basic proportions of a model to be more easily adjusted, which can be exceptionally useful.

And the reason the bone pieces are so basic is that, like the Toa Metru or Toa Inika upper leg beams, they're meant to be covered in many cases. The CCBS (the official name for the new building system used in all action figure themes since its introduction in 2011) features a more robust variety of shell elements, such as this, this, this, this, this, or this.

You might notice that despite coming in various sizes and shapes, many of the parts I linked feature the same smooth, curved aesthetic. This is another of the strengths of the Hero Factory system—like the way the bones allow for different proportions on a model while sticking to a unified system, the shells mostly look similar to one another to allow a builder to focus first on the shaping of the model without worrying about clashing textures or motifs. That's not to say that there aren't options for a more detailed aesthetic, though. For that, there are shell detail elements that attach to the shells via 3.2 mm bar connections (the same sort as is featured on minifigure weapons and accessories). Examples of the diversity of these detail elements include this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and this. As you can see, some of these simply sit on top of shells to provide texture or other details, while some wrap around shells to provide further shaping for parts like shoulders. Some even feature additional attachment points for things like weapons.

 

Too often do the sets not have an additional texture piece over first layer of smooth shell. Particularily in the Brain Attack and Chima figures.

[Lyichir]

I don't like standardization. It makes things look... standard.

 

 

 

People often treat the lack of Technic connections on many Hero Factory parts as a big deal, but it's really not. A lot of Hero Factory beams have as many or more connection points than many BIONICLE beams (just compare this with this). And although usually more of those connection points tend to be ball joints, you can easily convert a single ball joint into THREE axle holes with just a single piece: a basic Y-joint.

 

You definitely WON'T be able to use the same exact techniques to build and armor a Hero Factory figure as you would have used on a BIONICLE figure. There is no way to snap a Piraka thigh shell to a typical Hero Factory beam, for instance. But that doesn't mean the parts are incompatible, any more than it means that such parts are incompatible with Toa Nuva parts. You just need to recognize the differences in the building styles and adapt accordingly.

 

All the connection points in Hero Factory have more or less the same form factor as earlier BIONICLE parts. So a Hero Factory axle hole is the same as a BIONICLE axle hole, and a Hero Factory pin hole is the same as a BIONICLE pin hole. The biggest difference as far as connection points are concerned is that a Hero Factory ball cup no longer allows a pin or cross axle to pass through the circular holes on either side of the ball. However, this sacrifice is more than worthwhile since it means that the new ball cups are much less fragile than the older ones.

Regarding the photo links, the Bionicle ones definitely have a lot more variety in bone pieces. HF ones are all exactly like that with no variety other than length.

 

Firstly, the value of variety in length shouldn't be understated. The lack of that was one of Bionicle's building system's greatest weaknesses—despite the wide range of upper and lower limb pieces, Bionicle only ever really had two different lengths of each. Hero Factory's wide range of bone sizes allows for the basic proportions of a model to be more easily adjusted, which can be exceptionally useful.

 

And the reason the bone pieces are so basic is that, like the Toa Metru or Toa Inika upper leg beams, they're meant to be covered in many cases. The CCBS (the official name for the new building system used in all action figure themes since its introduction in 2011) features a more robust variety of shell elements, such as this, this, this, this, this, or this.

 

You might notice that despite coming in various sizes and shapes, many of the parts I linked feature the same smooth, curved aesthetic. This is another of the strengths of the Hero Factory system—like the way the bones allow for different proportions on a model while sticking to a unified system, the shells mostly look similar to one another to allow a builder to focus first on the shaping of the model without worrying about clashing textures or motifs. That's not to say that there aren't options for a more detailed aesthetic, though. For that, there are shell detail elements that attach to the shells via 3.2 mm bar connections (the same sort as is featured on minifigure weapons and accessories). Examples of the diversity of these detail elements include this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and this. As you can see, some of these simply sit on top of shells to provide texture or other details, while some wrap around shells to provide further shaping for parts like shoulders. Some even feature additional attachment points for things like weapons.

 

Too often do the sets not have an additional texture piece over first layer of smooth shell. Particularily in the Brain Attack and Chima figures.

 

Well, that's kind of the point. You don't have to add texture over every piece of armor, because the base armor layer retains a unified aesthetic whether you do or not. With the CCBS, you could cover a model in heavy, detailed armor from head to toe, but most models can use shell details sparingly to create emphasis on specific parts of the model's build or physique, while keeping the overall aesthetic unified. Bionicle used a high level of detail on almost every part, but since many of the details on those parts could clash with one another, a builder would often have to choose between which armor gave the shape they wanted versus what armor gave the look and texture they were going for.

[Regitnui]

Forgive me for butting into your debate, but I'd like to ask:

 

This CCBS is only HF, or do other themes use it as well?

[Lyichir]

Forgive me for butting into your debate, but I'd like to ask:

 

This CCBS is only HF, or do other themes use it as well?

It's used for every action figure theme or subtheme since 2011. That includes Hero Factory and the Legends of Chima and Super Heroes Ultrabuild sets. And of course its parts occasionally appear in regular Lego themes, just like Bionicle's occasionally would back in the day.

 

Lego part engineers who worked on the system have mentioned in online comments that it's certain to remain the standard for many more years, and that Hero Factory's successor would continue to use it, so even without seeing the sets for yourself you can expect the new Bionicle theme to continue to use it as well.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Lyichir

[bioniclepluslotr]

Anyone think this building system is much more simplified to build? Like for example, the torso pieces always only have a single ball joint for the chest piece, and all figures will have the same placement of armor. I remember Bionicle having the separate upper body and waist pieces, and it let you adjust the height of the figure, and all that jazz.

[Regitnui]

Simplified in a good way or a bad way?

[randomreviewerbros]

Simplified in a good way or a bad way?

I think its simplified in a good way, you should get a Hero Factory set just to see what its like, I've seen some of the Brain Attack sets on clearance at Walmart if you live in the USA, and they were cheap from what I remember

[bioniclepluslotr]

Simplified in a good way or a bad way?

I don't like it. They get boring and repetitive to build. A lot of it is reduced to snapping ball joints onto the same spots on each figure. There's no more using axle pieces to get armor in, or using the different holes for changing lengths of limbs or bodies. That being said, Invasion from Below did change up the variety of building quiet a bit by using parts that are usually uncommon in HF sets, so I hope that will carry over to Bionicle.

Edited September 25, 2014 by bioniclepluslotr

[Pohatu: Uniter of Stone]

I like using normal Bionicle pieces when building anything larger than a normal sized Hero Factory set, and this is because Bionicle pieces are more "integrate-able" with Technic. However, Hero factory bones are very useful for making lots things since they don't have all the detail that Bionicle pieces had, making it a bit easier to make organic looking things.

[Banana Gunz]

I like CCBS, but I think there is more that can be done to make it better. More basic armor shells (We already have a fair amount but the basic one used for every sets needs a partner with a slightly different design to shake things up), more bone colors, and especially more complex torso. That torso is useful, but it leaves large gaps in its build, only allows for easy armor attachment to one side (I know it's possible to add more using other parts but it shouldn't be that hard). Also it's very un-adjustable. Depending on which one you have, it's height and proportions are fixed. I would like a separate hip piece and upper torso piece like the inika build.

 

I'd love to see more bone colors because it would make each set more personalized, and reduce the feel of armor on a skeleton and give it more of a fleshed out appearance.

 

But other than those things CCBS is the best we've gotten so far. It's standard which is good. The problem is that it feels just a little too standard, but that is a problem that can be fixed pretty easily with the fixes I've mentioned on this post.

[Chro]

 

Simplified in a good way or a bad way?

I don't like it. They get boring and repetitive to build.

I held the same position on most of the standard Bionicle sets.

 

(That's mostly why I MOC - the enjoyment of making something much more complex. Lego provides the means, but I build something better than what they can feasibly provide in a set.)

[Lyichir]

Anyone think this building system is much more simplified to build? Like for example, the torso pieces always only have a single ball joint for the chest piece, and all figures will have the same placement of armor. I remember Bionicle having the separate upper body and waist pieces, and it let you adjust the height of the figure, and all that jazz.

While the system IS more simplified, it's also far more versatile. For instance, you mention being able to adjust the height of Bionicle figures. And you could—for their torsos and their torsos alone. For the more refined builds of the later half of Bionicle, which used ball joints for hips and shoulders, there was basically no easy way to adjust the length of the arms or legs, since the upper and lower leg beams each came in only two sizes each. Hero Factory, on the other hand, has beams for both upper and lower legs in a wide range of lengths: 3M, 4M, 5M, 6M, 7M, and 9M. Combined with the multiple sizes of torso, that allows for FAR greater control over a figure's height, which is why smaller CCBS sets can use standard limb beams even for small sets, while Bionicle never got over using one-piece limbs for anything smaller than a Toa.

 

As for the torsos only having a single ball joint for chest armor, that's true if you're only using two parts for the torso—but Bionicle never did that, and Hero Factory builds don't always do so either. The CCBS includes many, many parts designed for attaching ball joints to other parts, the most versatile being a simple 3M Technic beam with a ball joint in the center. With those sorts of parts, you can greatly expand your options for armoring a set. If you want an accurate comparison for the basic torso shells, look at the Toa Inika chest armor—it was similarly designed to armor a character's torso using as few parts as possible, and was even harder to use for unintended applications like shoulder armor than Hero Factory's more versatile torso shells.

 

 

Simplified in a good way or a bad way?

I don't like it. They get boring and repetitive to build. A lot of it is reduced to snapping ball joints onto the same spots on each figure. There's no more using axle pieces to get armor in, or using the different holes for changing lengths of limbs or bodies. That being said, Invasion from Below did change up the variety of building quiet a bit by using parts that are usually uncommon in HF sets, so I hope that will carry over to Bionicle.

 

Your criticisms sound the same as most AFOLs' criticisms of Bionicle. The CCBS still offers plenty of axle pieces, and still has plenty of customization potential. And as I mentioned above, Bionicle NEVER had many options for changing the lengths of limbs unless you were working with titan-sized builds, so I don't know what you might mean by "using the different holes for changing lengths of limbs". For torsos, you could—but outside of a small range, you couldn't do that much on Toa-sized sets without making your build look comical, due to the pitiful range of limb lengths.

[bioniclepluslotr]

Given that the HF building system is so popular, how did Bionicle get so much more hyped than Hero Factory? I'm so confused o.O

Edited September 26, 2014 by bioniclepluslotr

[Lyichir]

Given that the HF building system is so popular, how did Bionicle get so much more hyped than Hero Factory? I'm so confused o.O

Hero Factory's building system is only popular relative to Hero Factory's overall popularity, which never quite reached Bionicle's popularity at its peak in 2002/2003. And even then, its popularity is greater in MOCist circles—people who buy the sets for the characters can be more divided about the look the parts give builds, especially older fans of Bionicle who got used to its high-detail aesthetic.

 

And perhaps most importantly, a lot of Bionicle's popularity comes from its story. Hero Factory's story was generally middling-to-dismal in its quality, and didn't inspire a lot of love for the theme. Bionicle's return inspires nostalgia in the theme's vast former audience, and some of them are likely to come back for the new sets or direct younger siblings or relatives toward the theme. I imagine a lot of people are going to get their first taste of the new building system with the new Bionicle, and I hope many of them realize the advantages it offers.

[Regitnui]

Personally, I haven't bought any HF sets, mostly because I don't care for the minifigures. I don't need nor want minifigures in my BIONICLE. I'll gladly return to buying the new sets next year, but I don't care for Hero Factory as a concept.

[Voxumo]

So having been suggested this topic, perhaps I may be so brave as to inquiry.

 

Since this is a discussion regarding the compatibility of the old bionicle system and new system, perhaps I could ask for some help along that line. I recently decided to start mocing using a more CCBS (I believe I spelt that right) style build yet I want to use my old kanohi from like 2003 and prior. So what I am looking for is perhaps helpful techniques for either connecting the Mata and metru heads to the basic hero factory body frame, without it looking awkward. Heck if there is a way to get the masks on there through the use of pieces other than the heads, I'm all ears. 

 

I will note that I originally thought of using Jang's method of connecting the mata head to the body, but sadly I lack that little T piece otherwise I would be using it, and while I could just use the method of connecting 04+ masks to glatorian heads, that still doesn't quite hold as nice a appeal as say actually using the metru heads.

 

Hopefully this all made sense, and hopefully i'm not asking too much. 

[bioniclepluslotr]

I'm working with LDD and I tried combining the old and new systems and it just looks weird. O.o

[Danska: Shadow Master]

I picked up a couple of HF sets recently, to see what the build system's like. And I think it's good. It's the logical development of where Bionicle was headed - from a more technic function based build to buildable action figures. It's simple, versatile and elegant.

 

Weirdly, while I like the system, I'm not much of a fan of the sets it's been used for. Admittedly my Knowledge of these is limited and may change but...*shrugs* I dunno.

 

I'm looking forward to Bionicle a few years down the line, with lots of Bionicle sets built with the system around. Should be some good MOCing potential!

[Banana Gunz]

CCBS and the Old system work pretty well together. I find that Technic can also be worked in very seamlessly (as shown with the new Bionicle 2015 sets). The biggest change (for me) was how the armor attaches, which can be a little inconvenient at times, but can be worked into a model very easily.

[bioniclepluslotr]

CCBS and the Old system work pretty well together. I find that Technic can also be worked in very seamlessly (as shown with the new Bionicle 2015 sets). The biggest change (for me) was how the armor attaches, which can be a little inconvenient at times, but can be worked into a model very easily.

The old bionicle armor could be directly applied to any beam. Now with the clip-on shells, you gave to add an extra ball piece into beams that don't have one built in and it adds an extra module sticking out and looks awkward and hallow.

[Aanchir]

 

CCBS and the Old system work pretty well together. I find that Technic can also be worked in very seamlessly (as shown with the new Bionicle 2015 sets). The biggest change (for me) was how the armor attaches, which can be a little inconvenient at times, but can be worked into a model very easily.

The old bionicle armor could be directly applied to any beam. Now with the clip-on shells, you gave to add an extra ball piece into beams that don't have one built in and it adds an extra module sticking out and looks awkward and hallow.

 

"Directly applied to any beam"? What about applying a Toa Metru thigh shell to this one or this one or this one? Let alone newer beams like this one. In ALL of those cases, the shell would have to be spaced off the beam. Most of the time the old shells could only attach DIRECTLY to one-module-wide Technic beams and BIONICLE double ball cups. Anything wider or more complex required them to be built off of the beam, the same as a CCBS shell would.

 

Also, working a ball joint onto a beam is no huge burden, all things considered, especially considering how many parts there are that are perfectly suited to doing just that.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Aanchir

[Ragnar Lothbrok]

I've only just purchased a few HF and Chima sets to get my head around CCBS before the Bionicle sets, as well as get some parts to rebuild the parts of them that I don't like.

 

What I can say is this: CCBS can either be really good or really bad. As mentioned by Lyichir, the freedom to decide the length of arms and legs is unrivaled in comparison to Bionicle, but the shells are admittedly very bland. What I hope to see in future Bionicle waves is more unique shells, perhaps with textures reminiscent of the old lines, and maybe a couple of axle and pin holes instead of the lightsaber-sized holes we have today.

 

A final wish is that we get a two-part body shell comes in two parts that are connected by a ball joint. Hip joints are always nice, and it could lead to hip armour and chest armour. A boy can dream, can't he?

[bioniclepluslotr]

 

 

CCBS and the Old system work pretty well together. I find that Technic can also be worked in very seamlessly (as shown with the new Bionicle 2015 sets). The biggest change (for me) was how the armor attaches, which can be a little inconvenient at times, but can be worked into a model very easily.

The old bionicle armor could be directly applied to any beam. Now with the clip-on shells, you gave to add an extra ball piece into beams that don't have one built in and it adds an extra module sticking out and looks awkward and hallow.

 

"Directly applied to any beam"? What about applying a Toa Metru thigh shell to this one or this one or this one? Let alone newer beams like this one. In ALL of those cases, the shell would have to be spaced off the beam. Most of the time the old shells could only attach DIRECTLY to one-module-wide Technic beams and BIONICLE double ball cups. Anything wider or more complex required them to be built off of the beam, the same as a CCBS shell would.

 

Also, working a ball joint onto a beam is no huge burden, all things considered, especially considering how many parts there are that are perfectly suited to doing just that.

 

Those aren't the beams I'm talking about. I mean the solid straight beams with holes. All those pieces you showed don't need armor applied, new or old. Except CCBS shells leave big gaps around the edges.

[Rahkshi Lalonde]

Yeeeah, aanhir, most people don't consider Bionicle lower limb pieces as "beams". :t