Updates: Multiverse, Bohrok Kool, My Horrible Memory, Etc.
Updaaaayyyyytzzzz!
1) Okay, before BZP went offline, I had been talking to someone, about something, and it came out that I said I would PM Greg and ask him about it. And I can't, for the life of me, remember who I was talking to or what it was about. If you're that guy, please PM a reminder.
2) Bohrok Kool contest deadline is extended to September 15, midnight EST (a Tuesday. I like ending contests on Tuesdays, have you noticed? lol).
3) Multiverse stuff is happening fast! First, go read Swert's summary of the behind-the-scenes scoop on the Multiverse. We have a 100-page PDF guide, an 11 slide art Slideshow (see news article for those), a Discussion Topic, a Story Submission Topic, and best of all, the next contest: EMC#3: Denizens!
4) Coming soon, the Industrial Weapons Guide PDF, and the BRC topic. About one third of the way done with the weapons guide. Probably will have another news article once those two things are ready. Maaaybe that update will include the first Cipher Chronicles episode, which I have a (tentative) outline for.
5) Among the Multiverse stuff, we used some of the unknown Kanohi shapes for some of the Multiverse mask powers, and while we were at it, we asked Greg for approval to canonize them. And he approved! (After some confusion from some members who were unsure if he meant it as canon approval, Swert checked, and he did.) Fun fun.
6) While I was at it, I asked him if he could approve the Av-Matoran three masks and Shadow Matoran three masks to be the Noble shapes of the masks corresponding to the Toa and Makuta the Matoran could attach to. He approved this with the Multiverse powers.
Afterward, though, good points were raised about how, at least for the Shadow Matoran masks, that might not make much sense. I had an idea to explain that, but have NOT yet asked him about it. While I'm asking for help remembering that other thing I was supposed to ask him (lol) I figure I might as well ask opinions on this too. This is the relevant part of the PM I have NOT yet sent:
1) Some people are bringing up points about the Shadow Matoran masks I had asked you if could be considered Noble versions of the corresponding Makuta's masks. My question on that part had been:
And while I'm at it, the 2008 Matoran six Kanohi look an awful lot like noble versions of the Toa Nuva's 2008 masks -- and no official shapes have ever been established for Noble Miru, Kakama, or Akaku. Could those six (including the Shadow Matoran three) be officialized as all Noble shapes corresponding to the Toa or Makuta they could attach to?Which you approved, but the point is, for the Shadow Matoran, that might not actually make sense. If they're wearing the same masks they had been before being corrupted, of course it wouldn't make sense for them to wear evil power-shapes -- even if they're just shapes. Yet, like I said, they do look so very much like the Makuta's shapes.
So I had an idea for a solution. Perhaps the Makuta hate good mask powers almost as much as Toa/good Matoran hate evil powers? So as soon as those Matoran became Shadow Matoran, perhaps the Makuta ordered them to swap their normal masks (whatever they were) for Matoran masks shaped like Noble versions of the Makuta's masks. That way, the shapes would still be considered Noble Jutlin, etc.
2) Another problem brought up was whether Noble versions of evil masks would ever be invented in the first place. What do you think? I can imagine that perhaps Makuta would think of it, just for the purpose of having their slaves have more evil shapes available for Matoran masks, so it's easier to tell slaves apart. (But it wouldn't make sense, as far as I know, for any living Turaga to actually wear Noble versions of those.)
Does this idea make sense to yall?
7) So, we aren't sure enough that it will work yet to announce what it's about, but Ojh is working on concept for another computer game. Proooooobably we'll be using RPGMaker 2003 again. I would describe what we're doing now is "testing to see if we can really do what we want to" phase. If it works, it will involve stuff from weapons contest, denizens, and the next two contests planned for the EM after denizens (next one to be Tyrant species, and the next one not ready to be announced yet). So, it is planned to be a fair time before it's done for that reason alone.
EDIT: Twilight Jack was PMing me about the masks of Vulture and Untranslation specifically; he didn't like them, and since a few people have thought similarly, I wanted to explain what my thinking was, publicly (he has given me permission to quote from our conversation). I have some important points relevant to the whole concept of Bionicle, thought it would be nice to say this on the blog.
May I lodge a small complaint? Unimportant in the long run, but just a thought. Most of the new mask titles (the newly canonized ones) seem professional enough, and fit with the overall naming scheme. However, two do not: the Mask of Vulture, and Mask of Untranslation. I don't have a replacement name for Vulture, but wouldn't Untranslation be known as Encryption or Scrambling?
First, my reasoning for Untranslation, which I admit I'm not really sure is best:
For Untranslation, it's a good point. Scrambling is a good suggestion to replace it, and someone else suggested that too. The thinking currently, though, is that a name for a mask that has a power to scramble speech makes sense to be a weird name. Since a name is speech. Also, both Swert and I like the name better than scrambling.
Vulture (the power is basically like in the Eragon books; when something dies, you absorb its escaping energies; it's an evil power, as is Untranslation too):
As for the mask of Vulture, I've seen a few people not liking it, and I'm really confused as to why. The power is directly inspired by Vultraz's name. Also, the power is clearly related to what real-world vultures are -- "eating the dead". If anything, it's the mask power that fits best IMO. tongue.gif Besides that, the very design looks like a Vulture (which is probably what inspired Vultraz's name). So I guess I'm curious why people think it doesn't fit?
I love the power, it does fit Vultraz perfectly. I don't like calling it "Vulture," however. I meant keep the power, it's brilliant, I just don't like the name for it.
I was talking about the (three good) reasons we used the name Vulture for the power. But again, I'm curious why you don't like it? The only reason you've given is that you don't happen to like it. Which is fine -- I'm all about personal taste, but that's subjective. If there's no objective reason not to call it that, you see what I'm asking? Just curious if you can explain why you don't like it. Of course, sometimes with personal taste we can't answer that, heh, it "just is". But yeah, wondered. If there are good reasons to change it we might consider doing so.
Oh, you had to ask. laugh.gif Heh, let's see how to put it...it just doesn't...sound like the rest of the Kanohi titles. Let me go down the list: Mask of Shielding, Mask of Water Breathing, Mask of Levitation, etc.You see, there's a naming pattern - ings and ions.
Then there are Speed and Strength, which, while not matching the name pattern, are more ethereal concepts than actual tangible things. Same applies to the masks of Fate and Kindred. Then there are those like Concealment and Translation, which are actions. Further, the rest of them have things that are technically "powers": Telepathy, Summoning, Clairvoyance, etc.
There are no masks, however, that use a noun that stands for a creature, like Vulture. Vulture isn't an act, an ethereal concept, an action, or a power. It's a creature.
I think that's why I don't like it. Does that make sense?
I see... well, in that case my answer would be, then Vulture is a challenge, to expand your mind, to look at things in new ways, besides just what you're used to! happy.gif Which is the hallmark of Bionicle -- remember "robots" on a tropical island. So, in that sense, that just makes it even more fitting, to me. smile.gif
IMO, there really is no such "naming pattern" intended. It's just that the clearest, one-word preferably word for power, that fits the feeling of that power best has always been used. In English, there is no word for what the mask of Vulture does, except Vulture itself, which fits the bill the best. So that's the thinking there. smile.gif With levitation, sheilding, etc. those words fit the idea of that power best, thus were used. So, it looks like you may have a bit of a misconception about naming reasoning anyways.
Also, if you look beyond just mask powers, many tools, characters, powers, etc. don't fit into your assumption of naming patterns. There are several Toa tools that are named after animals, many Rahi that are (though of course that makes sense), powers that are, even characters whose Bionicle names -- like Vultraz himself! -- are clearly named after animals. Since Vultraz himself is, so obviously, named after Vultures, I think it's especially fitting for the mask shape he wears.
I think the strong lesson that Greg has always argued for, and tried to illustrate in Bionicle, has always been never to let ourselves fall into an imagination 'rut' where we only accept things that just fit into the pattern we're already using, instead of using our imaginations to branch out and try new things. smile.gif So what you say only further convinces me that the mask is very well-named, and very true to what Bionicle is all about.
So I thank you for bringing it up, regardless. tongue.gif
You have a very good point, and I am happy to accept the name under that intention - to branch out and establish new things. It was just something that was in the back of my mind, that it didn't fit. Now it kinda does.
There was more to the PMs but shortening it to focus on the most important parts. And that is my reasoning for Vulture.
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