[Update 9/20] Disguised Great Being Revealed!

[Keplers]

Wow. I wouldn't have believed it was him. That surprises me.

[Podu]

I thought the Velika had too much heroism in his character... his assistance w/ the Toa Inika seems to kinda contradict the GB's intention to spectate the universe. But then I guess he just didn't wanna die in this universe so he helped them anyway... :/

[bonesiii]

I thought the Velika had too much heroism in his character... his assistance w/ the Toa Inika seems to kinda contradict the GB's intention to spectate the universe. But then I guess he just didn't wanna die in this universe so he helped them anyway... :/

We were told he wouldn't want to interfere in the normal operation of the Great Spirit. Aiding (minimally) heroes restoring that is pretty much the opposite.

In other news, it's been decided that the end of the spoiler tag requirement time will be Thursday (at the end of Thursday). Until then everybody keep remembering to use them. (We're going by the standard serial spoiler rules even though this isn't technically that.)

[avak3]

I got money on the fact there are 2 great beings... you know who... a EVIL great being? Also Greg revield this without any big story update...conclustion: this is a chekoh's gun, all the clues will look like the fit him but in reality they point to a diffrent charature all together.Well ... thats what I think.I can't work the blasted spolier tags!

Edited August 29, 2012 by avak3

[The Iron Toa]

I don't get what you mean, Avak3. Are you saying you think

Velika

isn't the Great Being? Because I doubt that Greg would provide false information.

[Obsessionist]

This makes me happy. The reveal itself is great, of course, but mostly seeing some hope for Bionicle lasting a few more years. With such an excited reaction, and Greg's interest in continuing (even if he can't spend much time on it), there may be hope.

[Dralcax]

Um... I'm very sorry, but what is this contest that everyone keeps talking about now? XDNice twist an all, but really, am I the only one here that's concerned with how the blazes you got in touch with Greg? I tried sending him a real-life letter and it was fruitless. EDIT: ALSO WAIT, HOLY KANOHI.

VELIKA! That's why that name was so weird to me the whole time, darn it! In Bulgarian (very likely in other Slavic languages as well) "velika" is the female variation of the word "velik" (veh-LEEK), and guess what that means.It means "great" and I'm absolutely not kidding.

HAHA YES I found that out in the other topic by googling "Velika -bionicle", giving me the actual inspiration for the name.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Dralcax

[bonesiii]

I don't get what you mean, Avak3. Are you saying you think

Velika

isn't the Great Being? Because I doubt that Greg would provide false information.

I think he's theorizing that there might be a second hidden GB, an evil one. (I highly doubt that could be, but that's what I think he meant.)

[Biff]

Yes! No!Yes, I know who it is, No, it wasn't who I thought it was. But that's alright. I'm satisfied for now.

[CeeCee]

I have to admit, I was hoping for it to be a character that was not even on any ones suspitions. I know people would have said it to be wrong if it was a "baddy", But what about this twist? Every thing that this guy did was actually helping the MU, but appearing to hinder it. Good twist huh?

[bonesiii]

I have to admit, I was hoping for it to be a character that was not even on any ones suspitions.

Greg confirmed long ago that someone had guessed it in the contest. If it was somebody nobody could guess, really, why have a contest for it in the first place?

[Toa of Gallifrey]

YES! WOO! AN UPDATE! Ahem, now that I'm done screaming... it makes sense that it's Velika. However I don't think this will be the last we hear from GregF, I think we'll get at least a story summary if chapters will stop being written. He did say he has something planned for TSO after all...

[MaksDudekVA]

I have to admit, I was hoping for it to be a character that was not even on any ones suspitions.

yes, we must never give up hope. Edited August 30, 2012 by toa jalokim

[25K Now!]

You know, if Velika was the murderer, how would he manage to rip Tren Krom into millions of pieces?

[Thunder on the Mountain]

So...to all the people who think the update is pointless and all...could you possibly think of a better way to ensure we don't get any more story stuff? It ain't over 'til Greg says it's over. So...get quiet maybe?

As for Velika...cool. I never thought to wager a guess much. Congrats to those of you who guessed right. I'm off to go play Matoran Escape. XD

[fauxname]

Well, that was expected. Still nice to have even a small update, though.

Fascinating.

I have a feeling once the rest of the BIONICLE web is aware of this, Velika's set will raise in value.

I was thinking the same thing. Be right back, gotta go get one while they're cheap.

[Duarack5]

I KNEW it

[bonesiii]

You know, if Velika was the murderer, how would he manage to rip Tren Krom into millions of pieces?

He's an inventor. Any number of options. Plus, an inventor who is a GB.Not that I'm convinced of that theory, just sayin'. Really, TK is a big blob of jello. Really wouldn't be that hard if you had the right weapon and snuck up on him.

[Hakann-The Bully]

Now that I KNOW it's Velika, I can never look at my Velika set the same way again. For one thing, I can now say I own a Great Being set!

Me too XDDD

[fishers64]

You know, if Velika was the murderer, how would he manage to rip Tren Krom into millions of pieces?

He'd invent a machine that created a vaccum, cause the air-containing gelatin to explode. Or, now that I look him up, he could use his Karzanhi-given Matoran weapons. They could do the job.

Edited August 30, 2012 by fishers64

[Takhamavahu]

Does anybody remember if Greg said whether he had this planned or not back when this character was introduced?

[Podu]

You know, if Velika was the murderer, how would he manage to rip Tren Krom into millions of pieces?

Remember those Power Carvers he's got? I imagine that he used them to split open TK and prolly Karzahni Besides, he is a GB with magical powers.

[25K Now!]

You know, if Velika was the murderer, how would he manage to rip Tren Krom into millions of pieces?

Remember those Power Carvers he's got? I imagine that he used them to split open TK and prolly Karzahni Besides, he is a GB with magical powers.

I'm pretty sure they said something about the GB not having access to magical powers or something, but maybe I'm wrong.

[Noble Tehurye]

You know, if Velika was the murderer, how would he manage to rip Tren Krom into millions of pieces?

He's an inventor. Any number of options. Plus, an inventor who is a GB.Not that I'm convinced of that theory, just sayin'. Really, TK is a big blob of jello. Really wouldn't be that hard if you had the right weapon and snuck up on him.

You are just joking, right? Because you do know what happened to Carapar...

[Chip Wiseman]

WOW. Who would have thunk it?

Velika, velika, velika, velika, velika... Your riddle-talk and inconceivable skill should have been a dead giveaway, right?

Anyway, thanks, smiley faces and buckets of gratitude to Erebus, and, of course, the man who made it all possible,Greg Farshtey!To anyone having trouble with spoiler tags, a common mistake is using html tags:

<spoiler>text</spoiler>

instead of BB tags:

[spoiler]text[/spoiler]

[Taria Pakari]

Okay, I really did not see that coming.

[Toa Zaz]

So...to all the people who think the update is pointless and all...could you possibly think of a better way to ensure we don't get any more story stuff? It ain't over 'til Greg says it's over. So...get quiet maybe?

As for Velika...cool. I never thought to wager a guess much. Congrats to those of you who guessed right. I'm off to go play Matoran Escape. XD

What's that supposed to mean? Are you insinuating that this is the best way of wrapping up the story? Because it's not. The best way would be having the web serials updated and wrapped up, or a summary of what was going to happen next, or even some plot point that actually affects something. So Velika's a Great Being. What does it matter? All that happened is that Greg gave you all some false hope that there would be more serials, giving him time to relax until you get doubts and he needs to do something else to hold you over. And the story is finished whenever the story stops being updated (which happened over a year ago), not when Greg says it does. By your logic, there could never be another update, and you all would still be sucking up to Greg. You get quiet, maybe.

Edited August 30, 2012 by bonesiii
Just to be clear, the end of Thursday is what I meant for the end of the tags, EST... probably should have said so. Added... -bones

[bonesiii]

Guys... no fighting.

[Aldian]

I dont think Velika is the murderer. He could definetly invent something, yes. But, could Velika sneak up on Tren Krom with that sort of thing? Tren had telepathic abilities, so I imagine it would be VERY difficult to sneak up on him. As well as that, how do you explain the cyclone that keeps popping up? How would Velika produce a cyclone?Plus, does no one remember that Greg had stated that this murderer was able to kill him because Tren trusted them? I imagine Tren trusted Velika, but having a matoran approach him with some sort of invention I imagine would cause a red flag to go up for Tren.A few reasons why I dont believe Velika is the murderer.

Please add spoiler tags around spoilers. -B6

Edited August 30, 2012 by Black Six

[Taipu1]

I dont think Velika is the murderer. He could definetly invent something, yes. But, could Velika sneak up on Tren Krom with that sort of thing? Tren had telepathic abilities, so I imagine it would be VERY difficult to sneak up on him. As well as that, how do you explain the cyclone that keeps popping up? How would Velika produce a cyclone?Plus, does no one remember that Greg had stated that this murderer was able to kill him because Tren trusted them? I imagine Tren trusted Velika, but having a matoran approach him with some sort of invention I imagine would cause a red flag to go up for Tren.A few reasons why I dont believe Velika is the murderer.

I think there is more implied by trust than simply a being who he sees as no threat. If I were Tren Krom I would be highly distrustful of any Matoran who willingly approached me. Someone he trusts is more likely to be someone he has the measure of, somebody he has encountered in the past. This could include Velika, we don't know much of his time in the MU before the Great Cataclysm. It's possible he went to check up on Tren Krom. The question I would have is whether Tren Krom would know if Velika is the GB.

You know, if Velika was the murderer, how would he manage to rip Tren Krom into millions of pieces?

He's an inventor. Any number of options. Plus, an inventor who is a GB.Not that I'm convinced of that theory, just sayin'. Really, TK is a big blob of jello. Really wouldn't be that hard if you had the right weapon and snuck up on him.

I think Tren Krom has a pretty good perception of the world around him for "a big blob of jello". I suppose his freedom from that island after a hundred millenia might leave him distracted, but he was never one to take company lightly, particularly the hostile sort. Edited August 30, 2012 by Taipu1

[Podu]

I thought the Velika had too much heroism in his character... his assistance w/ the Toa Inika seems to kinda contradict the GB's intention to spectate the universe. But then I guess he just didn't wanna die in this universe so he helped them anyway... :/

We were told he wouldn't want to interfere in the normal operation of the Great Spirit. Aiding (minimally) heroes restoring that is pretty much the opposite.

Well considering that it was just Makuta trying to fulfill his destiny, that is part of the "normal operation" of MU

Edited August 30, 2012 by Podu

[bonesiii]

But, could Velika sneak up on Tren Krom with that sort of thing? Tren had telepathic abilities, so I imagine it would be VERY difficult to sneak up on him. As well as that, how do you explain the cyclone that keeps popping up? How would Velika produce a cyclone?

What I said -- a weapon. Inventor, GB. Why not? It could simply be an elemental weapon for example, designed to perhaps frame Lesovikk or any other Toa of Air. If you think about it, a weapon producing a powerful cyclone would be an effective way to snipe TK from a distance, perhaps out of his sensory focus at the time, and to break up a gelatinous being.

Plus, does no one remember that Greg had stated that this murderer was able to kill him because Tren trusted them?

Good point; I did forget that. Of course, this doesn't necessarily rule out the hidden GB. This GB already did something against the knowledge or will of the others, so perhaps he at one point earned TK's trust (perhaps to use him for some purpose, or just to set this up). TK wouldn't necessarily be angry at him for what the others did.

I imagine Tren trusted Velika, but having a matoran approach him with some sort of invention I imagine would cause a red flag to go up for Tren.

I don't know if I buy that reasoning. Perhaps if it was an extraordinarily huge thing that was obviously a weapon, yes, but Velika was an inventor. It really wouldn't be strange, especially if TK knew him, as he probably carried around strange inventions all the time.Especially if the object in question is a vehicle, with a hidden weapon in it, as I theorized before (since we also would need to explain how he traveled great distances quickly).

The question I would have is whether Tren Krom would know if Velika is the GB.

Yeah, we can't assume he would know it. He may have had some reason to know TK from the distant past as a strange inventive Matoran who often carried his inventions around. All of that is plausible, although it does seem strange that any Matoran would know TK. But possible, especially if Velika originally lived near where TK was trapped.

I thought the Velika had too much heroism in his character... his assistance w/ the Toa Inika seems to kinda contradict the GB's intention to spectate the universe. But then I guess he just didn't wanna die in this universe so he helped them anyway... :/

We were told he wouldn't want to interfere in the normal operation of the Great Spirit. Aiding (minimally) heroes restoring that is pretty much the opposite.

Well considering that it was just Makuta trying to fulfill his destiny, that is part of the "normal operation" of MU

Actually, Makuta fulfilled his destiny against his will. A GB guiding events just enough to ensure that happened makes a lot of sense. Only if Makuta had not turned evil and had embraced his destiny would that imply the GB wouldn't need to do anything...

Edited August 30, 2012 by bonesiii

[Thunder on the Mountain]

What's that supposed to mean? Are you insinuating that this is the best way of wrapping up the story? Because it's not. The best way would be having the web serials updated and wrapped up, or a summary of what was going to happen next, or even some plot point that actually affects something. So Velika's a Great Being. What does it matter? All that happened is that Greg gave you all some false hope that there would be more serials, giving him time to relax until you get doubts and he needs to do something else to hold you over. And the story is finished whenever the story stops being updated (which happened over a year ago), not when Greg says it does. By your logic, there could never be another update, and you all would still be sucking up to Greg. You get quiet, maybe.

Dude, my point is a mile away from that. My point was being unappreciative of every update we're given makes it less likely that we're ever gonna see a serial update or something that furthers the story a little more. Greg has shown before on more that one occasion that if when he recieves ridiculous amounts of negative feedback, he becomes less inclined to actually share anything. I amost definitely not insinuating that this is the best way to wrap up the story. I'm saying if you don't want the Bionicle story to get left like this, show a little appreciation for this update and it's likely 'more news' Erebus promised in the first post will actually happen. Hopefully, amongst that news, new serials to tie off the end of Bionicle.'False hope'? Honestly, that's just being pessimistic. A few years back Greg temporarily left BZPower because people were being seriously overly critical of him. You start saying things like that, you're looking to never get the ending that you (and I, and most of BZPower) actually want. (Not implying Greg is reading all the posts in this topic. Just saying that kind of attitude doesn't help us as fans at all.)

[bonesiii]

My point was being unappreciative of every update we're given makes it less likely that we're ever gonna see a serial update or something that furthers the story a little more. Greg has shown before on more that one occasion that if when he recieves ridiculous amounts of negative feedback, he becomes less inclined to actually share anything. I amost definitely not insinuating that this is the best way to wrap up the story. I'm saying if you don't want the Bionicle story to get left like this, show a little appreciation for this update and it's likely 'more news' Erebus promised in the first post will actually happen. Hopefully, amongst that news, new serials to tie off the end of Bionicle.

I had a feeling that's what you meant, and I strongly agree. Very insightful. I would add, though, that I hope Greg can see that you can almost literally count on just one hand the number of people making that mistake. Looks like the vast majority of us are definitely appreciative of this and eager to hope that Greg will find time to finish the ongoing serials. It's wise to point this out, though; if bringing the serials to a satisfying conclusion is what we really want, we should be careful not to bite the hand that feeds us. :)And you're absolutely right about the false hope point. It's the same people saying that now that were telling us to believe that Greg wasn't ever going to talk to us again. Let's just stop acting like we're sure of the future, yeah? I actually had started expecting Greg to give us what he did, about when he did. If we relax and just have a little faith and patience, it can pay off.

[LQ1998]

He was number 8 on my list. I can't wait for the story!

Edited August 30, 2012 by bonesiii
Fixing spoiler tags

[Toa Zaz]

In all the time I've been on BZPower (which admittedly hasn't been very long and maybe things happened in the past), I've never seen someone give Greg any more negative feedback than what he deserves. I've hardly ever seen people give him negative feedback at all, actually. Usually people are sitting on their hands and giving him tons of credit for everything he does (and doesn't do). You (Bonesiii and Thunder on the Mountain) are saying (and, again, I've never seen this happen, but maybe it has), that the lack of negative feedback is because if there is any, Greg will actually pull a George Lucas and back out of the whole thing? According to you, he's so oversensitive that if anyone criticizes him, he'll go home crying and quit Bionicle? That's kind of bad, actually.On the other hand, if all you do is say "take your time, relax, whenever you feel like it," he'll never update the serials because he has no pressure to do it. You could say "have a little faith and patience" a year from now. Therefore, smiling and saying nothing won't convince him to write any more chapters, either.The thing is, Greg seems to have quit. He's not getting payed, so he doesn't care anymore. Assuming he still visits BZPower and values fan input, the best approach for us to take is one that realistically and fairly acknowledges how he's been doing at writing the story as of recently, which honestly hasn't been great. Don't give him any more credit than he deserves, and don't be overly demanding (which I don't think I've been) either. At that point, it's up to him.It's not biting the hand that feeds you. It's biting the hand that used to feed you, but doesn't any more, and still giving it credit for it.

Edited August 30, 2012 by bonesiii
Zaz, please calm down. I edited out a bit of flaming here. It's entertainment, relax and have fun, and discuss politely -- do not insult people, Greg included, but constructively criticize. The point is you shouldn't be biting anyone. :) -bones

[bonesiii]

I've never seen someone give Greg any more negative feedback than what he deserves

Well, the issue isn't really whether someone gives negative feedback (criticism), but constructive criticism. Since it's entertainment, etc. the goal is to have fun. The goal should never be to find ways to not enjoy it; that's utterly pointless. But sometimes things could be done in a more enjoyable way, so constructive criticism takes a positive perspective on it, pointing out ways to improve. Do we agree on this?If so, then what basically do you think could realistically have been done better in this case, and why? Keep in mind the role of personal preference here, and that it does appear most people are very pleased by this turn of events.

On the other hand, if all you do is say "take your time, relax, whenever you feel like it," he'll never update the serials because he has no pressure to do it.

Well, again, this was the perspective we kept hearing, but I instead fostered a positive, patient approach of still engaging the discussion, and he did answer as I thought he would. Again, it all boils down to it's just entertainment. Nobody should be treating it like it's urgent or anything. Lighten up and stuff. At the same time, there's no need to give up all hope that he might finish them. Simple balance is what I advise, as it works. ^_^In other words, it is quite simply wrong to use pressure. That makes it sound like we're addicts pressuring to get our fix, as if what started as expression of creativity instead becomes a burdensome duty you must perform and if you stop you've somehow done something wrong... ugh! As if it's either negative -- not getting it -- or blah -- just scratching by. Rather, use encouragement. If we don't get it, oh well. If we do, allow yourself to enjoy it! That's what it's all about! =DAnd I think it is there that what we are saying comes in. If you turn Bionicle into an addiction, then maybe the best thing Greg can do is stop feeding the addiction. That wouldn't be healthy. And I think that had somewhat happened with some, but there's been enough time now that they have mostly realized it and moved out of that trap. If by contrast you treat it as a positive if it might return, then that makes an author want to please you and create for you. :)If I try to imagine my fanfic reviewers taking a pressure-addiction-demanding attitude towards my stories I must say it would be quite silly. But as it is, they give constructive criticism when they see a way to, and they honestly praise what they like, etc. and are patient about it. I love that and it definitely makes me want to keep going at it. I expect it's the same for any author.In other words, in contrast to this:

Don't give him any more credit than he deserves, and don't be overly demanding (which I don't think I've been) either.

Don't be demanding at all. And instead of looking for ways to cap and limit the praise, allow yourself to freely enjoy it as much as you want! Enjoyment be da point. And alongside those things, if you spot a way that it could be done even more enjoyably, feel free to say so, but don't let it get you down. That's the way. Edited August 30, 2012 by bonesiii

[HahliNuva]

This just made my day! Looking back, I suppose that it does make sense...

[Toa Talo]

I was not expecting that when I opened the spoiler tag.When I did I was like what the how is this possible nice to hear again from Greg.What if the next thing he tells us is Bionicle is coming back.As well as Teridax.

[fishers64]

I dont think Velika is the murderer. He could definetly invent something, yes. But, could Velika sneak up on Tren Krom with that sort of thing? Tren had telepathic abilities, so I imagine it would be VERY difficult to sneak up on him. As well as that, how do you explain the cyclone that keeps popping up? How would Velika produce a cyclone?

The cyclone that was going at Kopaka and Pohatu was confirmed to be natural. It was never confirmed that a cyclone killed TK.