Should there be separate Gen1 and Gen2 storyline subfora?

[abstractAgamid]

At least until there's a confirmed link between them?

 

Sorry if this has been suggested already (I haven't seen it), but it could prevent potential confusion and/or exasperation.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

Given that the two stories are very, very different, I think one could discern what storyline each theory/question refers to.

 

Though I agree that it could get very hectic once G2 gets in full swing, like around summer.

[Sergei Rahkmaninoff]

I don't think so. If it gets to be a problem we can suggest that theories where confusion might be an issue use either "gen1" or "gen2," as nessecary, as a tag. Better to keep them unified so that we don't start getting a split in the fanbase between Gen1 and Gen2 fans.

[Kovika: Visorak Lord]

Yes, when summer kicks in.

BS01 might need that too.

[Rooster Nui]

I do think so, as the story is quite a bit different and well, they're two different continuites.

 

However, as Johnrahk said, it could create a stir between the fans of the new story and fans of the old story. I also think that having the rule of having to place "Gen 1" or "Gen 2" is somewhat a good idea, but a lot of people will easily skim past seeing that rule and just assume that you can place the topic title without those words.

 

EDIT: I guess placing Gen 1 or Gen 2 as a tag is very helpful, as Johnrahk also stated, but it'd still be a bit confusing when someone comes up with a question about the Toa (Mata/Masters) and Makuta (Teridax) and they forget to place those tags.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Rooster Nui

[Toa Smoke Monster]

As it stands right now, I don't think we need separate forums for the Gen 1 and Gen 2 stories. I think having both of them in the same forum, like it is right now, will be okay. If it came down to it, we could even put Gen 1 or Gen 2 in the topic's title or in the opening post, to avoid confusion. 

 

The only reason I would see in having the Gen 2 story have its own forum would be if it's story became as big and complicated as the Gen 1 story, which I don't think Lego will do again. So I think they should both stay in this forum.

[Xabla]

It should get its own fourm.

[Toa Komali]

I'm all for G2 but I can't even take a step here to see G1 stuff anymore without tripping over a skull spider. I think they should have a separate section only to avoid bogging down the G1 topics. 

 

Summer rush is approaching and with everyone having more time for chatting then it is gonna be a traffic jam here regardless. This could alleviate some of the congestion and keep the fourm tidy. Also be a lot easier on all the mods if you ask me.

[Black Six]

Moving to General Discussion...

[Voltex]

There's actually a tracker ticket about this very question; not sure whether the discussion should therefore be moved to the tracker or if the topic is fine?

 

Personally, I feel like we can stay with just one Storyline & Theories forum for now. It's easy enough to determine which generation is which. 

[fishers64]

I'm with Voltex. Besides, if I have a topic to compare Gen1 and Gen2 story, where would I put it?

[Sumiki]

My concern is that the proliferation of theories postulating some sort of connection between the two generations will be detrimental towards growing the forum's active user base moving forward.
 
I'd like to be wrong in this, but my fear is that new fans will think that they will have to remember the details of a decade-long first generation. If we do not provide some way of distinguishing between generations, there opens up the possibility of a rival site becoming the BZPower of G2.

[fishers64]

Alright, in order to do this properly, we'd have to have three subforums of Storyline & Theories: 

 

--> Bionicle Gen1 Storyline & Theories: Where the Gen1 canonization snobs/true story nerds hang with all the complainers. 

--> Bionicle Gen2 Storyline & Theories: Where there is no activity because Gen 2 has almost no story

--> Bionicle Connections and Comparisons: Where all the comparison topics and Gen1/Gen2 connection theories go. 

 

Do you really want three forums of S&T, the place famous for elitism, logic (oh how everyone loves to throw that word around to support their position and claim their opponent is misusing it) and canon? Do you really want this virus to grow?

 

Because I will gladly sit here and eat this cake. It is glorious. Do not tempt me with this proposition much further. 

Edited February 1, 2015 by fishers64

[Iblis]

 

--> Bionicle Gen2 Storyline & Theories: Where there is no activity because Gen 2 has almost no story

 

 

I can deal with the rest but... this is the issue: G2 has uh ... sets and less than 30 minutes worth of watching & reading. Seriously you can watch all of the episodes, read everything, & look at all the sets in that time. There isn't really much to do beyond Wild Mass Guessing... ^{(pro tip: the success of a thread based off of WMG has an arbitrary lifespan tending to very short mutual discussion, but not uncommonly to have hundred pages on it. Inconsistent and unreliable...)}

 

I'm all for segregating the generations into different forums. Just not yet. Maybe when the "Summer" wave is released? Or wait for books..?

I'm surprised that things with less than an hours worth of content got year(s) long lasting Story Discussion *shrugs*

Whatever floats you're boat.

 

Maybe wait until the G2/G1 threads are "competing" for presence on the first page of the Subfora? :S

[Adventurer]

Could be an idea to wait a bit longer to see how exactly G2's storyline is set entirely and how people take discussing G1, G2 and topics involving both. Also would need to get a better idea of how much of each sort of discussion is occurring and whether it justifies/could sustain a subforum.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Adventurer

[Votuko]

My concern is that the proliferation of theories postulating some sort of connection between the two generations will be detrimental towards growing the forum's active user base moving forward.

 

I'd like to be wrong in this, but my fear is that new fans will think that they will have to remember the details of a decade-long first generation. If we do not provide some way of distinguishing between generations, there opens up the possibility of a rival site becoming the BZPower of G2.

I feel that the thing that is more detrimental is the people who are openly hostile towards theories that connect the two generations, declaring things like "it's a hard reboot", when that hasn't been confirmed.

 

LEGO has always encouraged creativity, and theories are a part of that (especially when the bareness of G2's story leaves so much open to interpretation). I think the people who go around saying "your ideas are wrong" are the ones that will scare off new forum members, because that gives an impression of elitism, even if the ideas being rejected aren't likely to be ones put forward to by new members.

 

We mustn't forget that a considerable section of the target audience of G2 was the target audience for 2009's soft reboot. They may very well want to read a theory where the Tahu they bought in 2010 is the same character they bought in 2015.

[JMSOG]

Alright, in order to do this properly, we'd have to have three subforums of Storyline & Theories: 

 

--> Bionicle Gen1 Storyline & Theories: Where the Gen1 canonization snobs/true story nerds hang with all the complainers. 

--> Bionicle Gen2 Storyline & Theories: Where there is no activity because Gen 2 has almost no story

--> Bionicle Connections and Comparisons: Where all the comparison topics and Gen1/Gen2 connection theories go. 

 

While you meant this as a joke, this actually looks fine to me. Gen2 is lacking in story AT THE MOMENT. That's just as gen1 did back in 2001.

 

Gen1 has such a massive plethora of information to debate and theorize over that, until gen2 has 10 years of story as well, it's going to take a back seat to gen1 topics by default.

 

Gen2, however, is a current, "living/breathing" story. We're going to learn new things more frequently, and topics over what those new things mean are categorically different than gen1 discussion.

 

"Connections/Comparisons" are important as well. It wasn't necessary before, but now the terms "bionicle" and "bionicle as a whole" can mean two very different things.

 

It's a change that should be instituted. I can understand waiting to do so, but it does need to happen.

[Lyichir]

And if we do this, where do the plethora of topics debating the possibility of a connection between the storylines go? I even made my own today!

 

Mind you, I'm fine with either one. Keeping them together unites the community and enhances the possibility for people with different levels of interest in the two storylines to be exposed to things they wouldn't otherwise see. But I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't appreciate the ability to ignore the endless theories about the unchanging corpse of the G1 storyline.

[Sumiki]

 

My concern is that the proliferation of theories postulating some sort of connection between the two generations will be detrimental towards growing the forum's active user base moving forward.

 

I'd like to be wrong in this, but my fear is that new fans will think that they will have to remember the details of a decade-long first generation. If we do not provide some way of distinguishing between generations, there opens up the possibility of a rival site becoming the BZPower of G2.

I feel that the thing that is more detrimental is the people who are openly hostile towards theories that connect the two generations, declaring things like "it's a hard reboot", when that hasn't been confirmed.

 

LEGO has always encouraged creativity, and theories are a part of that (especially when the bareness of G2's story leaves so much open to interpretation). I think the people who go around saying "your ideas are wrong" are the ones that will scare off new forum members, because that gives an impression of elitism, even if the ideas being rejected aren't likely to be ones put forward to by new members.

 

I feel like is aimed at the comments I and others have made about members trying their best to come up with theories about the lines' connection. While I feel that it's too early to say with absolute certainty whether there is or is not a connection, there is no valid reason for there to be one when the decade-long backstory is literally what killed G1.

 

I don't think it's fair to go around calling "elitism" on people. New members would be scared off by thinking they have to learn a complicated backstory, and my fear is that the connection theories will stick around long enough to do harm.

 

In a larger sense, I have reason to believe that the primary force behind the connection theories (off-BZP, primarily) are fans who love G1 to the point where they are actively searching for theories that connect the two lines. I respect such enthusiasm, but all the same, I am wary of anything brewing in the fandom which may be taken the wrong way by new fans.

[Adventurer]

That's a fair point actually - splitting the subforum purely for the purpose of having a place to discuss the aspects of G2 with no relation to the decade long back story to make new members more welcome seems like a nice idea. I remember back during G1 posting in S&T could be pretty intimidating at first and I imagine it'd be a lot worse for G2 first timers.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Nah, I think it's a non-issue as long as people make it clear which generation the theory is targeted towards. I've had no problems distinguishing them so far. 

 

-NotS

[25K Now!]

I'm mostly for waiting to see how G2 turns out before forums start being separated.

[abstractAgamid]

The main point was exasperation, not confusion.

[Xabla]

Yes. I will get so hectic. And new fans who have no interest in G1 will get mixed up.

[RahiSpeak]

In my opinion, it would certainly make sense to split Gen2-S&T from Gen1-S&T. Think about how much of a story there was for Gen1. If someone who is completely unknowledgeable about BIONICLE prior to Gen2 were to see any of the conversations going on about The Dark Mirror or a planet-sized robot created to fix "The Shattering" they would be thoroughly overwhelmed. Just go to BIOSector01 and from there search anything. Clicking on a link leads to ten more and each of those ten leads to another ten; and all of these are for a generation that is irrelevant to the current one. How would a new fan know the difference between Gen1 and Gen2? They may very well think that they have missed something when a post mentions "bohrok" and go on a whole tangent of "discovery" about what Tahu and the Toa Nuva did and all the seemingly hundreds of things that happened, but without a story for Gen2 they would simply assume that the perfectly good and working story they found is the actual story.

 

For that reason, I do not think it would be to early to split Gen1-S&T and Gen2-S&T, just do it as soon as possible.

[Taka Nuvia]

I too think that a split into Gen1 and Gen2 would only be fair towards newer fans. It's also a lot more organized, knowing where to look for when you want to discuss the Bohrok or the Skull Spiders. :/

Edited February 8, 2015 by Schroedinger's Visorak

[Ektris]

A split is perfetly reasonable and makes complete sense.

 

My only reservation, at present, would be a fear of the G2 forum being quite bare. What benefit would there really be if there's not any discussion? That could just lead to a future consolidation back into one.

I still like the idea, but do see why it might not be as successful as we hope.

 

~|ET|~

[Lyichir]

A split is perfetly reasonable and makes complete sense.

 

My only reservation, at present, would be a fear of the G2 forum being quite bare. What benefit would there really be if there's not any discussion? That could just lead to a future consolidation back into one.

 

I still like the idea, but do see why it might not be as successful as we hope.

 

~|ET|~

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about that. Don't forget that there's a POINT to theorizing about the Gen 2 story—specifically, that the Gen 2 storyline is still HAPPENING. Frankly I'm surprised that S&T has managed to stay afloat for as long as it did, seeing as for the entirety of Hero Factory's run it was essentially running on fumes.

[RahiSpeak]

A split is perfetly reasonable and makes complete sense. My only reservation, at present, would be a fear of the G2 forum being quite bare. What benefit would there really be if there's not any discussion? That could just lead to a future consolidation back into one.I still like the idea, but do see why it might not be as successful as we hope. ~|ET|~

Bare? It seems that whenever I visit S&T, the whole page is filled with theories about what will happen in 2015. Most of the first-page topics are either about Skull Spiders, Gen1/Gen2 connections (I'd say at least five), or just general Gen2-story theories.

Edited February 13, 2015 by RahiSpeak