Set Uniformity: Is it gone so soon?

[believe victims]

 

 

I agree that the Bohrok were very cool sets -- well-designed and with a lot of functionality for their size -- but I never thought they looked sufficiently villainous to really fill the role they were given in the story.

 

 

But the role they were given in the story wasn't villainous. Antagonistic? Yes. But their role was not evil, so why should they look it?

 

 

True, but they were portrayed as strange villains at the time. Whatever they were suppose to be later, they were meant to be the villains at the time they were made. To the fans they were villains, because we had no idea that they were just cleansing the island because Mata-Nui.

 

 

They were portrayed as antagonists, but it was clear from the beginning they weren't just villains. "Clean it all it must be cleaned" doesn't sound like a villainous motto, it sounds like what a vacuum might say if it had moderate levels of sentience. They weren't just villains, they were a set-up for the mystery (and always were; their role as cleaners of the island was their whole deal). Their look, therefore, wasn't villainous, but rather like some sort of hive of identical drones. Their designs even have efficiency to them; for long distances, they roll to conserve power, and if a unit is overwhelmed, it can eject its krana to draw in help for the swarms. There are six specialized Bohrok each meant to handle different cleaning jobs.

 

In other words, the Bohrok weren't designed to look villainous because they were never meant to be. From the beginning, they were just cleaning drones that were woken up too early, and proved to be a difficult obstacle as they tried to clear an island the Matoran were living on. They had no malicious intent at all.

[bioniclepluslotr]

 

 

 

I agree that the Bohrok were very cool sets -- well-designed and with a lot of functionality for their size -- but I never thought they looked sufficiently villainous to really fill the role they were given in the story.

 

 

But the role they were given in the story wasn't villainous. Antagonistic? Yes. But their role was not evil, so why should they look it?

 

 

True, but they were portrayed as strange villains at the time. Whatever they were suppose to be later, they were meant to be the villains at the time they were made. To the fans they were villains, because we had no idea that they were just cleansing the island because Mata-Nui.

 

 

They were portrayed as antagonists, but it was clear from the beginning they weren't just villains. "Clean it all it must be cleaned" doesn't sound like a villainous motto, it sounds like what a vacuum might say if it had moderate levels of sentience. They weren't just villains, they were a set-up for the mystery (and always were; their role as cleaners of the island was their whole deal). Their look, therefore, wasn't villainous, but rather like some sort of hive of identical drones. Their designs even have efficiency to them; for long distances, they roll to conserve power, and if a unit is overwhelmed, it can eject its krana to draw in help for the swarms. There are six specialized Bohrok each meant to handle different cleaning jobs.

 

In other words, the Bohrok weren't designed to look villainous because they were never meant to be. From the beginning, they were just cleaning drones that were woken up too early, and proved to be a difficult obstacle as they tried to clear an island the Matoran were living on. They had no malicious intent at all.

 

But kid's won't understand. Lego's always been black and white about these things. Why did the Beasts from IFB have to die if they didn't do anything wrong besides having robots drill into their home? Because they're beasts.

[believe victims]

IfB was hardly stellar writing. They actually only had to die because the staff thought a peaceful ending was boring and wanted things to end with a bang, so they threw a murderous ending together last-minute without bothering to give a proper reason for the need to kill.

 

Kids can understand grey morality just fine. Series like Avatar: The Last Airbender pose questions on the nature of good and evil all the time. Bionicle's excessive dedication to black and white morality was easily one of its worst qualities, especially when it got dark and gritty and the Toa started acting tough and murderous and still we were told they were an absolute good.

[bioniclepluslotr]

IfB was hardly stellar writing. They actually only had to die because the staff thought a peaceful ending was boring and wanted things to end with a bang, so they threw a murderous ending together last-minute without bothering to give a proper reason for the need to kill.

 

Kids can understand grey morality just fine. Series like Avatar: The Last Airbender pose questions on the nature of good and evil all the time. Bionicle's excessive dedication to black and white morality was easily one of its worst qualities, especially when it got dark and gritty and the Toa started acting tough and murderous and still we were told they were an absolute good.

Huh, I thought Bionicle didn't have that line later on, like when some former villains were redeemed and recruited to fight the Makuta and then the line basically disappeared and I had no idea who was on who's side. Which is pretty realistic actually.

[believe victims]

Nah, even "redeemed" evil characters were either good or evil. Except Vezon, but he was a terribly-written character after 2006 anyway.

[Banana Gunz]

Nah, even "redeemed" evil characters were either good or evil. Except Vezon, but he was a terribly-written character after 2006 anyway.

 

Well... I did still find him funny in the serials.

 

 

 

Let the hate begin.

[Prime Axiom]

But kid's won't understand. Lego's always been black and white about these things. Why did the Beasts from IFB have to die if they didn't do anything wrong besides having robots drill into their home? Because they're beasts.

 

Because they didn't have a team of Toa sent to deal with them. The beasts didn't exactly get the top of the line service, if you get what I mean.

 

 Remember Krahka in Book 3 of Metru Nui? That was Bionicle's way of dealing with the whole "we accidentally disturbed the wildlife" theme. Nobody had to be killed. In fact, she returned later to help the Metru. Bionicle was never black and white imo. Heck, Toa wouldn't even kill visorak if they could help it. 

Edited October 17, 2014 by Prime Axiom

[Zidonaro]

Um, how can I say this ?

 

I love clone sets. I really do. I modded my Pohatu and Onua just to make these two similar to the rest of the mata There's just something very special seeing that line of characters with the same bodies, but different masks, colors and weapons. It pleasures me to look at them, not to mention the fact that makes them look more like a team. I do understand why people dislike them, however.

 

Makes me remember the good old days of 2003

"Mom can I buy this dude (Kopaka Nuva) ?"

"But they're all the same except for the colors"

[meowmachine]

I don't think I made this clear in the OP. The only part I hate about them not being clones is that they come in different sizes. In HF, they released a normal-sized hero then their XL. Now, they start with that. THAT makes a bad team aesthetic. The Barraki were cool but they looked like they were forced together by circumstance, which they were. Maybe there's some story-line reason like the toa were separately designed, but clone sets or Stars-level variation seemed like a better place to start. They're too different. 

 

And yes, I am hyped and I love most of them. (I have almost no other complaints.)

[bonesiii]

The only part I hate about them not being clones is that they come in different sizes.

I hope you don't apply this thinking to real-world teams made of humans. We don't always come in the exact same size either. >_>

[Aanchir]

I don't think I made this clear in the OP. The only part I hate about them not being clones is that they come in different sizes. In HF, they released a normal-sized hero then their XL. Now, they start with that. THAT makes a bad team aesthetic. The Barraki were cool but they looked like they were forced together by circumstance, which they were. Maybe there's some story-line reason like the toa were separately designed, but clone sets or Stars-level variation seemed like a better place to start. They're too different. 

 

And yes, I am hyped and I love most of them. (I have almost no other complaints.)

Ermm... I don't entirely follow. In both the Breakout and Brain Attack series, heroes came in different sizes. The $9 Evo, Stringer, and Nex from the Breakout series were shorter and less heavily equipped than the $13 Furno, Breez, Furno, Bulk, and Rocka, not to mention the $25 Stormer XL. And the $10 Breez, Bulk, Rocka, and Evo from the Brain Attack series were smaller and less heavily equipped than the $13 Surge and Stormer and the $20 Furno XL. Even though these were all the same "version" of the heroes, their prices (and subsequently, their height and equipment) were varied.

 

The difference in height between the small and medium-sized Hero Factory heroes was very small, of course, and the difference in height between the new Toa is still very small. Obviously, Onua and Pohatu are at least two modules shorter than any of the others (just as they werein the 2001 and 2002 versions), but Gali and Lewa are just one module shorter than Kopaka, who is in turn one module shorter than Tahu.

 

The differences in heights is actually less than the differences in heights among the Phantoka/Mistika sets or Toa Mahri. The Phantoka version of Pohatu was slightly shorter than the new versions of Pohatu and Onua, but the Phantoka version of Lewa was slightly taller than the new version of Tahu! Likewise, Toa Mahri Jaller and Nuparu were taller than the new Tahu, while Toa Mahri Kongu was shorter than the new Pohatu or Onua (despite Kongu having the most pieces of any BIONICLE canister set ever).

 

All things considered, the differences in height among the new Toa are nothing we haven't seen before. The difference now is that by giving Tahu, Kopaka, and Onua higher prices, they can be given extra height and/or width without having to cut corners elsewhere in their designs (like scrawny physiques, simplified functions, or less formidable weapons).

Edited October 21, 2014 by Aanchir

[Zidonaro]

The differences in heights is actually less than the differences in heights among the Phantoka/Mistika sets or Toa Mahri. The Phantoka version of Pohatu was slightly shorter than the new versions of Pohatu and Onua, but the Phantoka version of Lewa was slightly taller than the new version of Tahu! Likewise, Toa Mahri Jaller and Nuparu were taller than the new Tahu, while Toa Mahri Kongu was shorter than the new Pohatu or Onua (despite Kongu having the most pieces of any BIONICLE canister set ever).

 

But differences in heights always existed, right ? Like in the Toa Mata/Nuva and Metru/Hordika. This was skipped in the Toa Inika but returned with the Toa Mahri.

[Aanchir]

 

The differences in heights is actually less than the differences in heights among the Phantoka/Mistika sets or Toa Mahri. The Phantoka version of Pohatu was slightly shorter than the new versions of Pohatu and Onua, but the Phantoka version of Lewa was slightly taller than the new version of Tahu! Likewise, Toa Mahri Jaller and Nuparu were taller than the new Tahu, while Toa Mahri Kongu was shorter than the new Pohatu or Onua (despite Kongu having the most pieces of any BIONICLE canister set ever).

 

But differences in heights always existed, right ? Like in the Toa Mata/Nuva and Metru/Hordika. This was skipped in the Toa Inika but returned with the Toa Mahri.

 

Well, the Toa Hordika were all the same height, but yes, there have always been some considerable height differences among most major Toa teams to appear in sets. I think the differences in price point are the only reason people are taking particular notice of them with the newest team of Toa.

[CeeCee]

Sometime the mid match helps then look more like a team. Alpha team from BO, Mahri and the 2015 sets for example. The 08 toa were just bad sets. Thank god the year was only redeemable by the rest being pretty good.