I have seen so very many people complaining about this whole 'custom' nonsense lately. The majority has decided that MOCs need not be 'custom' to be good.

And to this I say...

True, but this is also not an excuse to go out and build oodles of Toamods, or other regurgitated lumps of parts. When most of us discuss something 'not being custom' being alright, we're not giving free reign to just build different versions of the same thing (as an aside, TLC please read that and apply it to your toa, kthnx). What we are giving you the ability to do is use the pieces for what they were molded as. Toa feet as, well, feet. Limb pieces as limbs. Etcetera, so on, and so forth.

Basically, laziness is not an excuse to build sucky MOCs. And you can't cover it up by throwing out a 'GOOD MOCS DON'T NEED TO BE CUSTOM!'. It won't work. However, if the artistic vision of the MOC involves using a pre-fab pieces for a purpose it was designed and molded for, go for it (example: lower arms on WereFlo, many of Seran's legs, etc).

Everyone SHOULD attempt to build things without using a basic piece provided in the set. Yes, most of them won't look good. But the way I see the evolution of MOCing talent in the Bionicle community (and I've been in it since the beginning, so I've watched a lot of it) goes like this:

-Toamods. Because Toa are cool and we want to make them cooler.

-'Custom' Toa. Most of these are jumbled and unrefined, but we're learning and now we want to do things that are impossible with the real sets.

-Heavy custom everything. Still unrefined, but the overall product is far superior to the average MOC, technically speaking.

-Refinement. Aesthetics takes over here, and while it's all still 'custom', the overall look is aesthetically fantastic. These MOCs are the reason the average BBCer want to do everything in custom.

-Better. Now we're realizing that aesthetics often trumps technical engineering. So we use what works, which leads to a toa foot used for a foot here, a Vahki leg used for a lower arm there, etc. But even then, we see that these pieces are rarely left 'as is'. Some sort of adornment lies upon them to fill in gaps, add colour, etc.

-Fusion (). The pinnacle of the Bionicle MOCist. From here there is nowhere else to go. The MOCists proficient in this level are kings to be served. ()

The last one is a joke, as I think Fusion MOCing is generally outside of the actual Bionicle genre as is. It's a divergent pathway found inside the 'Better' level. Take this path and things become much different. Basically from the 'better' level there are many different places to jump to. A quick glance through those who stand inside this level will reveal to you how vast the true nature of Bionicle building is.

But, the point is that there is nothing wrong with attempting to do something 'custom'. It's a natural part of the MOCist evolution. Yes, I think sometimes (most of the time) solidly custom MOCs are inferior to those who utilize pre-fab pieces well.

But this period is just a snapshot on your MOCist journey. Before ToM, Seran, Natha, or countless others became what they are now, they built cluttered and jumbly 'super custom' MOCs. We all did it.

It's a learning curve, and don't let anyone tell you that it's one you should skip. Yes, aspire to be outside the realm of 'custom' and 'not-custom'. Take to heart the idea that sometimes the best design is one TLC gave you. But DON'T LET THAT HOLD BACK YOUR GROWTH. Do not limit yourself.

The anti-custom crusade is not an excuse to build Inika clones.

Just because TLC does it doesn't mean everyone else can.

(And TLC shouldn't either)

The custom consensus is not an excuse to build super-jumbled piles of parts.

The GOAL in the movement against 'custom' SHOULD BE (but most likely ISN'T) that of achieving the 'better' level of building skills, and indeed, above that.

Because THAT is what should matter when someone says it 'doesn't have to be custom to be good'. Don't settle for the first or second level of MOCing when the top, and indeed, the vast expanses open above that lie within your grasp.