Well no dur. The priority of TLG has always been plastic toys, yo. But it is particularly evident here.

I have to say, these sets for the new line are glorious. They put Hero Factory sets to shame. The thought of integrating gears/Technic into CCBS has been with me for years, and then Lego goes and does it. Someone has been reading my mind. Plus they do it in a way that's Technic and actually built, rather than just making a part that does it that I would have to get in stupendous quantities. Yes.

And having characters with gears in their backs just makes sense with Bionicle nostalgia. Set innovation really appears to be behind this change, not story problems. (Feelz like my old theory from before the confirmation, but there's no problem in extending it.) That innovation - and by extension these cool set designs with foot stuff and good looking masks - feel like it should be in Bionicle, not HF. I notice a lot of HF parts that have been re-purposed to fit perfectly into these new designs, almost as if the designs were made for them.

Why weren't they?

'Cause that's how it's been with constraction ever since the 2011 HF 2.0: sets have been the beast and getting better each year, and story has been tanking and getting worse and worse. I've thought that this part had to do with HF, but ever since Bionicle got complicated, I'm thinking that they've be fumbling around trying to come up with stories for action figure sets that isn't...Bionicle. At least, not the dreaded BioniClassic.

Meanwhile, down in the set department, those people have 14 years+ experience and are innovating. They just keep on coming up with better stuff. And those people get priority, because they are feeding the bottom line.

It's entirely possible that someone randomly decided to do Bionicle, and told the designers to do it, and they came up with all of this cool stuff. But I still think set-based reasons are driving this change. I think someone in set design made that gearbox and foot attachments, or complained that they couldn't make that gearbox and fit it in, or somebody just made a design that someone said "This would fit better in Bionicle!". Or a lot of people got tired of HF builds and complained, and the marketing people said that they needed more complex builds. Bionicle.

Because the story is a little meh. And takes stuff from Ninjago and Chima. I appreciate that they are trying to improve it, and so far what they've given me is good, but the 90-second vid concept strikes me as less effort being put in than a full TV show or a game. (I'm still hoping that they will do a game, and a good one, at that. ) Clearly built around the sets, not the other way about, like 100% of all the other Bionicle story.

We're looking at this the wrong way (or at least I was). Lego is a set company - sets decide the theme changes. Story complaints don't. If anyone on TTV thinks that Lego made this move to improve the story behind constraction figures, I have a misconception to sell them.

This might not be fully true in Ninjago, but there's no question that it's true in constraction. On BZP, story is likely the foremost in our minds, and we expect Lego to treat it like that. But take a look at those sets, and you'll know Lego doesn't.

* * *

But anyway, the sets are currently inspiring more enthusiasm from me than the story concepts, which is a real change. I suppose the sets are more alluring because they are more of a novel concept than story to me. It's not like everyone else who has been collecting for years - building with the CCBS is still a new thing for me.

Story has always been with me, like an old and trusted friend. I do like novelty as much as the next, but story has always been an ever novel category...yeah. Still, there's a reason why I don't consider HF's story as fascinating as its building system, and I think that has little to do with me getting older. (I like Ninjago, after all.)

The new Bionicle story appears to be more intriguing though. I'd have to try it out for a spin before I really know, but I would really like the new Bionicle to be like old Bionicle (story > sets) vs. HF (sets > story).

Of course, the (story > sets) themes I usually end up buying no sets of lol. I heart Ninjago and BioniClassic story, but I only technically have one small BioniClassic set and no Ninjago sets. I have 3 HF and two Chima. I'm a terrible person on fan loyalty. What gets me to buy a set =/= what gets me to follow a story.

What I'd like new Bionicle to do is own both the sets and story categories so I can go back to "I like Bionicle" instead of the ever clunky "I have mixed opinions on all of these Lego themes". While the latter is more realistic, it's all harder to take to a discussion.

Although you can argue there is one theme that I do currently have a unified opinion on: Chima. Both sets and story are just okay. There's a few really good stuff, a few really bad stuff, and and a lot of okay mediocrity. This is true of both sets and story.

Sorry for the ramble.