Jump to content

A Bionicle Story Group - by fans


Matt5327

Recommended Posts

EDIT: We're using Slack to organize and communicate. Anyone interested will need to PM me their email address in order for me to get them in. This can be a throwaway if that makes you more comfortable, but keep in mind that you'll be using that whenever you log in. Once you've received your invite, you can join at bioniclestory.slack.com

 

We've also added an age limit - currently 15 - for entry.

 

EDIT2: We've now reached capacity for the time being, and are no longer excepting people. We may reconsider in the future. 

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

Ever since G2's cancelation, I've noticed that several fans have displayed interest in continuing Bionicle in our own way. Some of this has been relatively small scale: "We will continue without them. Get your MOCs and storyboards ready." - this is just one comment I've seen among many, encouraging fans to continue what we have always loved doing. I've also come across more ambitious suggestions, such as the creation of a group to finish LEGO's G2 story.

 

The thing is, there are a ton of really creative people within our fandom. The most common that we see come in the form of MOCs, but we've also seen people create 3D printable masks, small games, a matron language, and some really beautiful artwork (I'm a big fan of IRON6DUCK's "Mata Nui Sights" series myself).

 

This is only the tip of the iceberg pertaining to what Bionicle fans have made, but I think you can see what I'm getting at here. We have a lot of really great content, but all of it exists in its own little corner. Many of us limit our creations to our own head-canons, many of which might take place in a universe entirely distinct from those created by LEGO.

 

What I'm proposing is that we bring together a group of fans to build an unofficial Bionicle "canon" until such a time that Lego decides to pick it up again. The function of this group would be twofold: to organize the existing official content into our new canon, and to direct the creation of new content in order to continue the story. This could be small scale (i.e., just mocs and short stories), large scale (3-d printable sets, comics, novels) or somewhere in-between, depending on what the members involved are able/have time to do.

Edited by Matt5327
  • Upvote 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Count me in. Currently I am researching the possibilities of creating a large scale multiplayer coop/survival mod with the Doom engine. So far I don't have enough skills in programming or 3D modelling to attempt to do some work in a modern engine, however the Doom engine works wonders with modern ports like Zandronum and to this day good old Doom has the best coop/survival experience of any game ever made.

 

It would be something large scale, focused on many players meeting at an evening and playing a sadistically hard level with truly gargantuan battles - considering it is an FPS (the use of 3D fashioned sprites instead of 3D models means that you can get an insane amount of enemies in one single level). The story would be set during the time after Makuta was banished into the Shadow realm by the Toa Uniters. You would play as Ekimu, who would once again assume his powered up form and travel into the Shadow realm to liberate the doomed Capital City from the tyranny of his brother Makuta.

 

Now I would like to note again that this is still in the form of initial research, so nothing is guaranteed, however I definitely would like to get this project going if I can get people to make me some good photographs of the Generation 2 sets from different angles for the sprites  :)

  • Upvote 2

IhDIrLK.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very cool! Good on you to do research, as well; too often people go in not entirely knowing what they're getting into (I'm definitely guilty of this) and get discouraged as a result.

 

I do want to provide caution to you and anybody else interested not to assume any direct path, however; there will likely be a multitude of ideas of not only how to go forward, but on where to begin as well. We might start where Bionicle left off, start from 2001, or both! Or maybe something else! The trick is getting people together first.

 

What are your thoughts using Slack? The best way I can describe it is IRC on steroids (saved messages/conversations, file sharing, video conferencing, etc.). I have found it to be a very useful collaboration tool myself, but could also see why people on the internet would be hesitant (giving out emails to strangers and all).

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It won't work.

People are going to be upset that THEIR ideas aren't being used, and that THEIR storylines are better than yours anyway!

Plus it leaves some feeling left out.

I've generally found that, so long as communication is clear, people tend to be more cooperative than otherwise. I know that, if this happens, most of the ideas I have probably won't be popular and will likely be left in the dust. My goal, however, isn't to get others to see and like my ideas - it's to help provide content that others will enjoy, even if that content originates from others. It could be that I'm naïve, but I'm inclined to think that I'm not unique in this.

 

It's true that not everyone would be happy with the finished result, but there's really nothing wrong with that. Some people absolutely love G2, and others hate it. But we're all fans of Bionicle, otherwise we wouldn't be here. 

 

Also, you've been here six years, and only twenty posts? Come on, man!

I don't have much to say most of the time.

Edited by Matt5327
  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Count me in. Currently I am researching the possibilities of creating a large scale multiplayer coop/survival mod with the Doom engine. So far I don't have enough skills in programming or 3D modelling to attempt to do some work in a modern engine, however the Doom engine works wonders with modern ports like Zandronum and to this day good old Doom has the best coop/survival experience of any game ever made.

 

It would be something large scale, focused on many players meeting at an evening and playing a sadistically hard level with truly gargantuan battles - considering it is an FPS (the use of 3D fashioned sprites instead of 3D models means that you can get an insane amount of enemies in one single level). The story would be set during the time after Makuta was banished into the Shadow realm by the Toa Uniters. You would play as Ekimu, who would once again assume his powered up form and travel into the Shadow realm to liberate the doomed Capital City from the tyranny of his brother Makuta.

 

Now I would like to note again that this is still in the form of initial research, so nothing is guaranteed, however I definitely would like to get this project going if I can get people to make me some good photographs of the Generation 2 sets from different angles for the sprites  :)

 

Question, can any of the ZDoom engines (like Zandro) use vector images?  If so, using the old Templar MNOG graphics in the Doom engine shouldn't be out of the question.

 

(I know nothing about Doom modding so I'm hoping someone can help me out here)

  • Upvote 1

Avatar by Nicholas Anderson (NickonAquaMagna)

My blog: The Jaga's Nest

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were multiple attempts to this when G1 ended. It didn't work then, it certainly wont work now.

remember expanded multiverse

 

Pepperidge Farm Remembers™

 

​(granted it wasn't a continuation but it came about following g1's conclusion and was an attempt to write a vaguely canon g1 storyline to fill the space that it left)

  • Upvote 1

galijump.gif.f3271eeb2e5fad0ab8397c83797b5bba.gif
[BZPRPG]
(shout out to max)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were multiple attempts to this when G1 ended. It didn't work then, it certainly wont work now.

Why do you think past attempts didn't work out? Were they too ambitious? If so, how? Did they lack the technology to effectively collaborate? If so, what was the technology lacking? This important in determining whether or not this is comparable. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It won't work.

People are going to be upset that THEIR ideas aren't being used, and that THEIR storylines are better than yours anyway!

Plus it leaves some feeling left out.

 

Also, you've been here six years, and only twenty posts? Come on, man!

I've been here a sixth of your time, and have half of your posts? Come on man!

 

 

Anyways, I think some kind of organized fan effort would be great. I might join up with this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were multiple attempts to this when G1 ended. It didn't work then, it certainly wont work now.

 

Why do you think past attempts didn't work out? Were they too ambitious? If so, how? Did they lack the technology to effectively collaborate? If so, what was the technology lacking? This important in determining whether or not this is comparable. 

 

No one could agree on anything, there were too many cooks in the kitchen, people were unreliable, and in some cases management was poor and inefficient.

  • Upvote 1

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ever since G2's cancelation, I've noticed that several fans have displayed interest in continuing Bionicle in our own way. Some of this has been relatively small scale: "We will continue without them. Get your MOCs and storyboards ready." - this is just one comment I've seen among many, encouraging fans to continue what we have always loved doing. I've also come across more ambitious suggestions, such as the creation of a group to finish LEGO's G2 story.

 

The thing is, there are a ton of really creative people within our fandom. The most common that we see come in the form of MOCs, but we've also seen people create 3D printable masks, small games, a matron language, and some really beautiful artwork (I'm a big fan of IRON6DUCK's "Mata Nui Sights" series myself).

 

This is only the tip of the iceberg pertaining to what Bionicle fans have made, but I think you can see what I'm getting at here. We have a lot of really great content, but all of it exists in its own little corner. Many of us limit our creations to our own head-canons, many of which might take place in a universe entirely distinct from those created by LEGO.

 

What I'm proposing is that we bring together a group of fans to serve as a collaborative Bionicle "canon" until such a time that Lego decides to pick it up again. The function of this group would be twofold: to organize the existing official content into our new canon, and to direct the creation of new content in order to continue the story. This could be small scale (i.e., just mocs and short stories), large scale (3-d printable sets, comics, novels) or somewhere in-between, depending on what the members involved are able/have time to do.

 

I've already created a slack group, which can be found at bioniclestory.slack.com. Slack is a great way to facilitate team communication and incredibly easy to learn. It also supports a variety of plugins which could be to our advantage, such as Trello (a sort of cork board web-app) and video-conferencing software. The caveat is that I would have to send you an email invitation, requiring that I be provided the emails of those who would join.

Sir, count me in.

 

Nobody can label anything not approved by LEGO as absolutely canon, but perhaps we can give them a reasonable - perhaps wonderful - continuation to make up for the gap. Yes, I'm in on this... And perhaps, I can get about 20 people to help...

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

There were multiple attempts to this when G1 ended. It didn't work then, it certainly wont work now.

 

Why do you think past attempts didn't work out? Were they too ambitious? If so, how? Did they lack the technology to effectively collaborate? If so, what was the technology lacking? This important in determining whether or not this is comparable. 

 

No one could agree on anything, there were too many cooks in the kitchen, people were unreliable, and in some cases management was poor and inefficient.

 

That sounds like a path for what to do differently, then: keep the group size reasonable, seek ways to encourage work, and implement a management strategy.

 

 

Nobody can label anything not approved by LEGO as absolutely canon, but perhaps we can give them a reasonable - perhaps wonderful - continuation to make up for the gap. Yes, I'm in on this... And perhaps, I can get about 20 people to help...

 

 

That sounds awesome! What is your opinion on using Slack as a means to organize and communicate? Now that people have begun to show interest, I feel like finding an effective medium for collaboration is the next step.

Edited by Matt5327
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sounds awesome! What is your opinion on using Slack as a means to organize and communicate? Now that people have begun to show interest, I feel like finding an effective medium for collaboration is the next step.

 

I know literally - literally - nothing about Slack. Send me a PM and we can discuss it there; I don't want to clog up your topic with extra posts.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to help out. I know a thing or two about designing concept arts for landscapes and characters, so I may be able to offer that talent to the group. 

 

Problem is, I'm having some trouble joining the Slack group. It says that I already need to have my email accepted with the group itself before I can participate. 

  • Upvote 1

bZpOwEr

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to help out. I know a thing or two about designing concept arts for landscapes and characters, so I may be able to offer that talent to the group. 

 

Problem is, I'm having some trouble joining the Slack group. It says that I already need to have my email accepted with the group itself before I can participate. 

That's the one problem with slack - you need to receive an email invite from the person who created the group (me). I can do that if you PM the email address you'd prefer to be linked with slack - though I can understand why you and others might be hesitant to share that with a random stranger over the internet. If that ends up being case, then we can probably figure out an alternative medium that would suit the group better better.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd suggest you only do this with a small group of friends or like minded individuals. Any "official" continuation stuff gets too complicated fast because of the number of people and egos involved.

  • Upvote 2

audio_narration_project_banner_wide.jpg

 

Bionicle: ANP aims to create narrated versions of all the Bionicle books, with voice actors for each character, and music taken from various media to enhance the story. Check here if you're interested in voicing a character, and here for the chapters that've already been released!

Formerly: Tahu Nuva 3.0

Looking for a Bionicle Beanie. Black one with the symbol on it. Contact me if you are willing to sell

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd suggest you only do this with a small group of friends or like minded individuals. Any "official" continuation stuff gets too complicated fast because of the number of people and egos involved.

This sounds like a good idea. Maybe ask people to submit a sample of work to see if they have quality work and are dedicated.

 

(On second thought, maybe with those requirements I don't quite make it... :P)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Count me in. Currently I am researching the possibilities of creating a large scale multiplayer coop/survival mod with the Doom engine. So far I don't have enough skills in programming or 3D modelling to attempt to do some work in a modern engine, however the Doom engine works wonders with modern ports like Zandronum and to this day good old Doom has the best coop/survival experience of any game ever made.

 

It would be something large scale, focused on many players meeting at an evening and playing a sadistically hard level with truly gargantuan battles - considering it is an FPS (the use of 3D fashioned sprites instead of 3D models means that you can get an insane amount of enemies in one single level). The story would be set during the time after Makuta was banished into the Shadow realm by the Toa Uniters. You would play as Ekimu, who would once again assume his powered up form and travel into the Shadow realm to liberate the doomed Capital City from the tyranny of his brother Makuta.

 

Now I would like to note again that this is still in the form of initial research, so nothing is guaranteed, however I definitely would like to get this project going if I can get people to make me some good photographs of the Generation 2 sets from different angles for the sprites :)

Question, can any of the ZDoom engines (like Zandro) use vector images? If so, using the old Templar MNOG graphics in the Doom engine shouldn't be out of the question.

 

(I know nothing about Doom modding so I'm hoping someone can help me out here)

NO!! DO NOT MAKE A BIONICLE.WAD!! DX
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would really love to be part of this! :D

I need more details and updates, please

  • Upvote 1

"The future will bring the answers to your questions, but only if you stop speaking long enough to notice them."

~Toa Nuju

 

My fanfiction (continuation of G1):

Chapter1 The Plan

Chapter2 The Encounter

Chapter3 The Blueprints

Chapter4 The Fight

Chapter5 The Traveller

Chapter6 New Tools

Chapter7 Rescuers on the Red Star

 

My musical project: The Chronicler (the topic of the project)

 

Songs:

- Le-Matoran in Bota Magna

- Triumph of The Seventh Toa

- Building New Atero (Le-Matoran in Bota Magna VIP)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would really love to be part of this! :D

I need more details and updates, please

What sort of details are you looking for? Some things, such as the kind of content we will create will be decided by the group only after it's formed, in order to ensure that our goals are not so lofty that they might not be accomplished. 

 

As for joining, those who've checked out Slack so far generally seem to like it so it seems like we'll be sticking with that. I'd have to send you an email invite, so if you're okay with that just PM the email address you'd like to use. If you're uncomfortable using an email address that might identify you, you can also make a throwaway gmail or something (but you'd have to remember the throwaway in order to use Slack).

Edited by Matt5327
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about G1 and how it could be made more reasonable, teleological (why?), and cohesive (in terms of theme) as well as improving the story as 15 years of hindsight would enable one to do. I would definitely be willing to work with other people on it, but is that one of the intentions of this group(s), or is it strictly about the continuation of G2?

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suggest- two groups- one with a large user base designed for general bouncing around of story ideas, that can support multiple projects being developed at the same time to account for creative differences, and a second, smaller group of people that you handpicked to help with your specific project. If the big group spawns some dedicated fan projects, they can later make their own small groups for them.

 

I've seen that kind of setup used before, and it can work quite well that way. 

  • Upvote 1

3DS Friend Code: 0018-0767-4231

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate the idea of fans being able to dictate the entire story, so that when you want to make YOUR version of Bionicle continuation it "won't be canon" and the fans do not know how to handle a bionicle continuation. Just let bionicle rest in peace, and continue the story in your OWN way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now, I'm going to chip in here, and while I don't want to be a spoil sport, I feel this needs to be said.

 

I'm a professional writer. Writing is how I make a living, it is what puts bread on the table. I like doing it, have been told I'm good at it, and do it in my free time. I'm also passionate about Bionicle, am enthusiastic about it and want to see both G1 and G2 get continued in some shape or form, while still hoping for a G3.

 

So why am I not running head over heels to join this effort? Simple - such initiatives have cropped up countless times whenever something popular ended, and they never work.

 

You can put a bunch of passionate and enthusiastic fans into a room, tell them to come up with a "canon", leave and come back to a neatly planned and well executed story. You'll likely come back to a battlefield where half of the people are writing their own things alone because they know better, a quarter of the people just sitting around because they've given up on arguing and the remained literally throwing their own faeces at one another.

 

Obviously you'll have a few people who are diligent, cooperative, creative and passionate who contribute to the initiative. But for every such person, you'll have 10 who argue that their idea is better, 10 who will whine that their idea is overlooked even if it is poor, 10 who will disagree not because they dislike the idea but because they don't like the face of the person suggesting it and 10 people who were like "yeah let's do this!" in this thread but don't actually intend to do anything when the time comes.

 

Fan projects are cool and all, but they only ever go so far. Successful fan endeavors which bear their fruit are the extremely rare exception, not the rule. People just don't stay on board if they don't get paid. Even those who genuinely move the project forward might hit a financial crisis, might become parents, might lose interest... 

 

Fan projects that succeed all have a few things in common: the people working on it know one another face-to-face and have been friends for decades, have developed their project before revealing it to the wider fandom, have professional experience in their fields and succeed in motivating the larger fandom to donate money for their efforts.

 

No one is going to pay for a bunch of fans scattered across the globe to write up a canon Bionicle continuation over Slack. Sure, everyone reading this might think "I don't care if I don't get paid, I'll do it anyway". You might even be serious about it. For about a month. Then you'll be like "I'll do it tomorrow, I'm busy" or "I have to walk the dog" or "I feel like playing video games right now". 

 

I'm not saying this is an entirely lost cause, but in the form you propose, it is guaranteed to crash and burn.

 

Limit the "team" to a maximum of 5 members, but it would be smart to keep it lower. Try and contact people from the G2 story team - all you need is some guy affiliated with them to send you an email amounting to "yeah, whatever, it can be canon". Screenshot that and turn it into the marketing of this initiative. Remain dedicated, churn out content frequently. Spend hours on this. Whenever you write something, re-read it and re-write it because - and I'm saying this as a writer - the first thing you write will never ever be good. No matter your experience, the first draft is never good. Send it through to all of the other members, have them edit and proof-read it. Always release content with a nice, hand-made illustration to go with. Do this for about 6 months - provided you survive that long - and release some massive, expansive publication that blows everything else out of the water, and then start asking for donations, and continue. At this point maybe maybe your boat is sturdy enough to support a team of 6-7 people.

 

If you are not dedicated enough and ready to do what I outlined, I suggest you give up now.

 

I hate being the naysayer, and usually I'm the first to charge headfirst into something I'm interested in even if it is doomed to fail, but this time experience is on my side. Your heart is in the right place, but unless you want to get burned and learn from your own mistake, I suggest you either rethink this or abandon it.

 

I'm sorry.

 

:kakama:

  • Upvote 6

:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

Model Designer at The LEGO Group. Former contributor at New Elementary. My MOCs can be found on Flickr and Instagram

:smilepohatunu: :smilehuki:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now, I'm going to chip in here, and while I don't want to be a spoil sport, I feel this needs to be said.

 

I'm a professional writer. Writing is how I make a living, it is what puts bread on the table. I like doing it, have been told I'm good at it, and do it in my free time. I'm also passionate about Bionicle, am enthusiastic about it and want to see both G1 and G2 get continued in some shape or form, while still hoping for a G3.

 

So why am I not running head over heels to join this effort? Simple - such initiatives have cropped up countless times whenever something popular ended, and they never work.

 

You can put a bunch of passionate and enthusiastic fans into a room, tell them to come up with a "canon", leave and come back to a neatly planned and well executed story. You'll likely come back to a battlefield where half of the people are writing their own things alone because they know better, a quarter of the people just sitting around because they've given up on arguing and the remained literally throwing their own faeces at one another.

 

Obviously you'll have a few people who are diligent, cooperative, creative and passionate who contribute to the initiative. But for every such person, you'll have 10 who argue that their idea is better, 10 who will whine that their idea is overlooked even if it is poor, 10 who will disagree not because they dislike the idea but because they don't like the face of the person suggesting it and 10 people who were like "yeah let's do this!" in this thread but don't actually intend to do anything when the time comes.

 

Fan projects are cool and all, but they only ever go so far. Successful fan endeavors which bear their fruit are the extremely rare exception, not the rule. People just don't stay on board if they don't get paid. Even those who genuinely move the project forward might hit a financial crisis, might become parents, might lose interest... 

 

Fan projects that succeed all have a few things in common: the people working on it know one another face-to-face and have been friends for decades, have developed their project before revealing it to the wider fandom, have professional experience in their fields and succeed in motivating the larger fandom to donate money for their efforts.

 

No one is going to pay for a bunch of fans scattered across the globe to write up a canon Bionicle continuation over Slack. Sure, everyone reading this might think "I don't care if I don't get paid, I'll do it anyway". You might even be serious about it. For about a month. Then you'll be like "I'll do it tomorrow, I'm busy" or "I have to walk the dog" or "I feel like playing video games right now". 

 

I'm not saying this is an entirely lost cause, but in the form you propose, it is guaranteed to crash and burn.

 

Limit the "team" to a maximum of 5 members, but it would be smart to keep it lower. Try and contact people from the G2 story team - all you need is some guy affiliated with them to send you an email amounting to "yeah, whatever, it can be canon". Screenshot that and turn it into the marketing of this initiative. Remain dedicated, churn out content frequently. Spend hours on this. Whenever you write something, re-read it and re-write it because - and I'm saying this as a writer - the first thing you write will never ever be good. No matter your experience, the first draft is never good. Send it through to all of the other members, have them edit and proof-read it. Always release content with a nice, hand-made illustration to go with. Do this for about 6 months - provided you survive that long - and release some massive, expansive publication that blows everything else out of the water, and then start asking for donations, and continue. At this point maybe maybe your boat is sturdy enough to support a team of 6-7 people.

 

If you are not dedicated enough and ready to do what I outlined, I suggest you give up now.

 

I hate being the naysayer, and usually I'm the first to charge headfirst into something I'm interested in even if it is doomed to fail, but this time experience is on my side. Your heart is in the right place, but unless you want to get burned and learn from your own mistake, I suggest you either rethink this or abandon it.

 

I'm sorry.

 

:kakama:

Being part of this group I thought I'd give my two cents on this comment.

 

 

Firstly, I think you greatly underestimate the people behind this. They're not a small collective of whiny toddlers who have to be the masters of the BIONICLE story. No, nobody here has said that this must be canon or else, and nobody here has tried to pick a fight or shown signs of it - actually, we've been discussing the best way to avoid fights. So I don't see how we're about to fall apart in the aspect of people fighting when nobody can.

 

Secondly, anyone who is serious about joining this is good at what they wish to do. Writing? we have writers. Drawing? we have artists. Building? We definitely have builders. Anyone who really can't do this simply won't sign up for something this big, and I'd definitely like it to be acknowledged in the main post. But we're not about to give up after a month, especially not after a week.

 

And finally, where in the main post does it say we're accepting an infinite number of people? Nowhere. Not at all. In fact, I'll be surprised if we get over ten for this first portion. So perhaps instead of basing your critiques off of a bunch of assumptions, you could perhaps investigate just a little bit more next time before writing up a wall of text.

 

We appreciate the honest opinion, but like this project, it needs to be grounded before it flies off.

 

I hate the idea of fans being able to dictate the entire story, so that when you want to make YOUR version of Bionicle continuation it "won't be canon" and the fans do not know how to handle a bionicle continuation. Just let bionicle rest in peace, and continue the story in your OWN way.

Well, if you're so incredibly opposed to this, just ignore it. If it succeeds, then it does. If it fails, then it does. You don't need to blow your top about it.

 

For some reason my computer won't let me quote, but that's actually a really good idea. In fact, Slack is pretty well suited for that sort of thing. Count me in.

PM Matt5327 if you haven't already, and supply him with the proper information to get you onto the Slack boards. Can't wait to see you there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suggest- two groups- one with a large user base designed for general bouncing around of story ideas, that can support multiple projects being developed at the same time to account for creative differences, and a second, smaller group of people that you handpicked to help with your specific project. If the big group spawns some dedicated fan projects, they can later make their own small groups for them.

 

I've seen that kind of setup used before, and it can work quite well that way. 

 

That's actually kind of what I was thinking - the key is to make sure that those involved all okay that. I don't want to make executive decisions when there is no real reason why I should be executive.

 

Now, I'm going to chip in here, and while I don't want to be a spoil sport, I feel this needs to be said.

 

I'm a professional writer. Writing is how I make a living, it is what puts bread on the table. I like doing it, have been told I'm good at it, and do it in my free time. I'm also passionate about Bionicle, am enthusiastic about it and want to see both G1 and G2 get continued in some shape or form, while still hoping for a G3.

 

So why am I not running head over heels to join this effort? Simple - such initiatives have cropped up countless times whenever something popular ended, and they never work.

 

You can put a bunch of passionate and enthusiastic fans into a room, tell them to come up with a "canon", leave and come back to a neatly planned and well executed story. You'll likely come back to a battlefield where half of the people are writing their own things alone because they know better, a quarter of the people just sitting around because they've given up on arguing and the remained literally throwing their own faeces at one another.

 

Obviously you'll have a few people who are diligent, cooperative, creative and passionate who contribute to the initiative. But for every such person, you'll have 10 who argue that their idea is better, 10 who will whine that their idea is overlooked even if it is poor, 10 who will disagree not because they dislike the idea but because they don't like the face of the person suggesting it and 10 people who were like "yeah let's do this!" in this thread but don't actually intend to do anything when the time comes.

 

Fan projects are cool and all, but they only ever go so far. Successful fan endeavors which bear their fruit are the extremely rare exception, not the rule. People just don't stay on board if they don't get paid. Even those who genuinely move the project forward might hit a financial crisis, might become parents, might lose interest... 

 

Fan projects that succeed all have a few things in common: the people working on it know one another face-to-face and have been friends for decades, have developed their project before revealing it to the wider fandom, have professional experience in their fields and succeed in motivating the larger fandom to donate money for their efforts.

 

No one is going to pay for a bunch of fans scattered across the globe to write up a canon Bionicle continuation over Slack. Sure, everyone reading this might think "I don't care if I don't get paid, I'll do it anyway". You might even be serious about it. For about a month. Then you'll be like "I'll do it tomorrow, I'm busy" or "I have to walk the dog" or "I feel like playing video games right now". 

 

I'm not saying this is an entirely lost cause, but in the form you propose, it is guaranteed to crash and burn.

 

Limit the "team" to a maximum of 5 members, but it would be smart to keep it lower. Try and contact people from the G2 story team - all you need is some guy affiliated with them to send you an email amounting to "yeah, whatever, it can be canon". Screenshot that and turn it into the marketing of this initiative. Remain dedicated, churn out content frequently. Spend hours on this. Whenever you write something, re-read it and re-write it because - and I'm saying this as a writer - the first thing you write will never ever be good. No matter your experience, the first draft is never good. Send it through to all of the other members, have them edit and proof-read it. Always release content with a nice, hand-made illustration to go with. Do this for about 6 months - provided you survive that long - and release some massive, expansive publication that blows everything else out of the water, and then start asking for donations, and continue. At this point maybe maybe your boat is sturdy enough to support a team of 6-7 people.

 

If you are not dedicated enough and ready to do what I outlined, I suggest you give up now.

 

I hate being the naysayer, and usually I'm the first to charge headfirst into something I'm interested in even if it is doomed to fail, but this time experience is on my side. Your heart is in the right place, but unless you want to get burned and learn from your own mistake, I suggest you either rethink this or abandon it.

 

I'm sorry.

 

:kakama:

You're being honest and courteous, so no need to be apologetic! I definitely understand your concern - I myself have also been in a number of projects that were doomed to fail from the beginning. There are two main aspects about this that I'm hoping will make it different:

 

1 - scale - Oftentimes projects shoot for the moon, but don't even include a rocket scientist. Whatever content is created in this group will be chosen by the content creators, and only according to their current skill levels and ability to commit time to the project.

 

2 - organization - Online groups are very difficult to manage, and oftentimes fall prey to "everyone just do everything you can! It'll work out!" and of course, it doesn't. The only reason this has no organizational structure at this time is because it needs to be developed by the team - but this is already a priority issue that we're discussing. By breaking things into smaller chunks and smaller dedicated teams, things can get done.

 

It very well may be that this will die - I am no fortune teller. But with the experience that I've had both with groups online and in real life, I am confident about our chances.

Edited by Matt5327
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Now, I'm going to chip in here, and while I don't want to be a spoil sport, I feel this needs to be said.

 

I'm a professional writer. Writing is how I make a living, it is what puts bread on the table. I like doing it, have been told I'm good at it, and do it in my free time. I'm also passionate about Bionicle, am enthusiastic about it and want to see both G1 and G2 get continued in some shape or form, while still hoping for a G3.

 

So why am I not running head over heels to join this effort? Simple - such initiatives have cropped up countless times whenever something popular ended, and they never work.

 

You can put a bunch of passionate and enthusiastic fans into a room, tell them to come up with a "canon", leave and come back to a neatly planned and well executed story. You'll likely come back to a battlefield where half of the people are writing their own things alone because they know better, a quarter of the people just sitting around because they've given up on arguing and the remained literally throwing their own faeces at one another.

 

Obviously you'll have a few people who are diligent, cooperative, creative and passionate who contribute to the initiative. But for every such person, you'll have 10 who argue that their idea is better, 10 who will whine that their idea is overlooked even if it is poor, 10 who will disagree not because they dislike the idea but because they don't like the face of the person suggesting it and 10 people who were like "yeah let's do this!" in this thread but don't actually intend to do anything when the time comes.

 

Fan projects are cool and all, but they only ever go so far. Successful fan endeavors which bear their fruit are the extremely rare exception, not the rule. People just don't stay on board if they don't get paid. Even those who genuinely move the project forward might hit a financial crisis, might become parents, might lose interest... 

 

Fan projects that succeed all have a few things in common: the people working on it know one another face-to-face and have been friends for decades, have developed their project before revealing it to the wider fandom, have professional experience in their fields and succeed in motivating the larger fandom to donate money for their efforts.

 

No one is going to pay for a bunch of fans scattered across the globe to write up a canon Bionicle continuation over Slack. Sure, everyone reading this might think "I don't care if I don't get paid, I'll do it anyway". You might even be serious about it. For about a month. Then you'll be like "I'll do it tomorrow, I'm busy" or "I have to walk the dog" or "I feel like playing video games right now". 

 

I'm not saying this is an entirely lost cause, but in the form you propose, it is guaranteed to crash and burn.

 

Limit the "team" to a maximum of 5 members, but it would be smart to keep it lower. Try and contact people from the G2 story team - all you need is some guy affiliated with them to send you an email amounting to "yeah, whatever, it can be canon". Screenshot that and turn it into the marketing of this initiative. Remain dedicated, churn out content frequently. Spend hours on this. Whenever you write something, re-read it and re-write it because - and I'm saying this as a writer - the first thing you write will never ever be good. No matter your experience, the first draft is never good. Send it through to all of the other members, have them edit and proof-read it. Always release content with a nice, hand-made illustration to go with. Do this for about 6 months - provided you survive that long - and release some massive, expansive publication that blows everything else out of the water, and then start asking for donations, and continue. At this point maybe maybe your boat is sturdy enough to support a team of 6-7 people.

 

If you are not dedicated enough and ready to do what I outlined, I suggest you give up now.

 

I hate being the naysayer, and usually I'm the first to charge headfirst into something I'm interested in even if it is doomed to fail, but this time experience is on my side. Your heart is in the right place, but unless you want to get burned and learn from your own mistake, I suggest you either rethink this or abandon it.

 

I'm sorry.

 

:kakama:

Being part of this group I thought I'd give my two cents on this comment.

 

 

Firstly, I think you greatly underestimate the people behind this. They're not a small collective of whiny toddlers who have to be the masters of the BIONICLE story. No, nobody here has said that this must be canon or else, and nobody here has tried to pick a fight or shown signs of it - actually, we've been discussing the best way to avoid fights. So I don't see how we're about to fall apart in the aspect of people fighting when nobody can.

 

Secondly, anyone who is serious about joining this is good at what they wish to do. Writing? we have writers. Drawing? we have artists. Building? We definitely have builders. Anyone who really can't do this simply won't sign up for something this big, and I'd definitely like it to be acknowledged in the main post. But we're not about to give up after a month, especially not after a week.

 

And finally, where in the main post does it say we're accepting an infinite number of people? Nowhere. Not at all. In fact, I'll be surprised if we get over ten for this first portion. So perhaps instead of basing your critiques off of a bunch of assumptions, you could perhaps investigate just a little bit more next time before writing up a wall of text.

 

We appreciate the honest opinion, but like this project, it needs to be grounded before it flies off.

 

No need to get this defensive. I did not intend my post to be at all disrespectful. All that being said, I'm the one who most wishes for you to prove me wrong. If you're this enthusiastic, power to you! You guys might even become an exception and this initiative might work really, really well and the team might be brought together by their passion for Bionicle.

 

There is also no need to take potshots regarding groundedness and investigation. The opening post of this topic describes the goal of the initiative to be an official canon continuation. Yes, you've been discussing ways to avoid fighting, but when centuries upon centuries of research into reducing workplace conflicts has not turned up anything useful, I doubt a forum thread will prevent it entirely either. And you're absolutely right, no one ever said anything about infinite members - however numbers like 25 and such have been tossed around, which is already a nightmare to manage.

 

I'm also not assuming poor behavior from anyone who signed up, I've just seen what such projects do to otherwise mature and civil people many times before, and maybe am too pessimistic to expect better.

 

My post was based 0% on assumptions, only on facts gathered from this thread and my own experience. However, please, go forth and ignore it and take this initiative into fruition! I'd love to see fans of Bionicle come together under a single unified banner and continue on the story in a way that carries with it the high quality that would make it "the most official among the unofficial". I really hope you guys prove me wrong and get this ball rolling, and I'll be an avid reader and observer of anything this group produces. 

 

You're being honest and courteous, so no need to be apologetic! I definitely understand your concern - I myself have also been in a number of projects that were doomed to fail from the beginning. There are two main aspects about this that I'm hoping will make it different:

 

1 - scale - Oftentimes projects shoot for the moon, but don't even include a rocket scientist. Whatever content is created in this group will be chosen by the content creators, and only according to their current skill levels and ability to commit time to the project.

 

2 - organization - Online groups are very difficult to manage, and oftentimes fall prey to "everyone just do everything you can! It'll work out!" and of course, it doesn't. The only reason this has no organizational structure at this time is because it needs to be developed by the team - but this is already a priority issue that we're discussing. By breaking things into smaller chunks and smaller dedicated teams, things can get done.

 

It very well may be that this will die - I am no fortune teller. But with the experience that I've had both with groups online and in real life, I am confident about our chances.

 

 

 I've seen such projects fail in the past, but I've also seen some amazing things accomplished with dedication and plenty of planning. In spite of what I wrote before, I genuinely hope that this thing works out and will be cheering you people from the front row

 

:kakama:

:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

Model Designer at The LEGO Group. Former contributor at New Elementary. My MOCs can be found on Flickr and Instagram

:smilepohatunu: :smilehuki:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't get me wrong; I think this could be really cool if it worked out. I dunno if any of you are into Metroid, but a small group just released AM2R which is an incredibly professional remake of Metroid II. They showed that they could pretty much handle Metroid better than Nintendo themselves could right now.

 

But that was because they had a great (creative) leader. As others here have said, if too many people get in on this it'll probably get muddled, chaotic, and inefficient. So it'll need good leadership and good self-control and discipline for all members.

 

So we'll see. If it works out, great. I'd love to see some of the stuff that would be made. But I think it would be pretty difficult for it to work out.

  • Upvote 1
rsz_screenshot_from_un_chien_andalou.jpg
My Writing Blog (more writing coming soon!)

My Bionicle/LEGO Blog (defunct)

Hyfudiar on Spotify (noise/drone/experimental music)

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate the idea of fans being able to dictate the entire story, so that when you want to make YOUR version of Bionicle continuation it "won't be canon" and the fans do not know how to handle a bionicle continuation. Just let bionicle rest in peace, and continue the story in your OWN way.

I have to agree with you on this. I have my own ideas for future stories, but the thought of a group of fans creating a "canon story" could go against anything I could ever do.

 

For example I want to someday make a few Okoto-Metru MOCs as I have called them, with Technic remote controlled vehicles for the six Toa in new G2 forms (that's my idea to do someday). But what if this story group takes a different direction, dare I say for example a G2 take on the Ignition saga? Will my fanon have to compete against the fanon/canon from another group?

 

If a story group is made, let's please treat it as fanon. If it is considered canon it will conflict with other fan ideas in the community.

  • Upvote 2

52641688958_d61c0bc049_w(1).jpg.c0871df0de376218d7ca2bc4f409e17d.jpg

All aboard the hype train!

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd join up with this, but this is only one of three different Bionicle story projects I've seen sprout up since Bionicle ended, and I think this is kind of a knee jerk reaction.

 

This of course won't be canon because it can't, but I'm still interested to see anything people come out with if things do get there, but I won't be a part of this. I started working on my own Bionicle G1 continuation project with a friend from high school and we made some awesome progress but college is starting now and things stopped, and I'd like to save our story structure to pick up some other time rather than share it and dilute it with conflicting ideas.

 

Still, fan activity is always awesome, and I hope to see cool things from this fanon you're all brewing up!

 

EDIT: I'm actually surprised you've set an age limit, and one at 15 for that matter. May I inquire as to why you've decided so? Just curious lol.

Edited by Banana Gunz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fans should not be able to dictate what's Canon and what's not, and there's a reason why. Sure you could probably handle it better but that doesn't mean that you can. How is your continuation story any better than mine?

I'm really confused. You're telling me fans shouldn't dictate what comes next, yet you're trying to say your continuation is better than ours, when you haven't even seen anything of ours yet?

 

If you could clarify that would be very helpful.

 

I'm actually surprised you've set an age limit, and one at 15 for that matter. May I inquire as to why you've decided so? Just curious lol.

We're not so keen on having any problems of any kind, so the age limit is to ensure that the people joining actually do have the money, time, and energy to put into this instead of just saying they do.

 

If a story group is made, let's please treat it as fanon. If it is considered canon it will conflict with other fan ideas in the community.

Since it doesn't appear to be obvious, nobody here is saying this must be canon or the whole thing is wasted and pointless, and nobody's saying that it will be canon. We don't know. Nobody does. We're going to machine it, however, so that if it can become canon, it will. Not only will that ensure the quality of the project, it will also give the people involved a better attitude about how they treat what they create for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Fans should not be able to dictate what's Canon and what's not, and there's a reason why. Sure you could probably handle it better but that doesn't mean that you can. How is your continuation story any better than mine?

I'm really confused. You're telling me fans shouldn't dictate what comes next, yet you're trying to say your continuation is better than ours, when you haven't even seen anything of ours yet?

 

If you could clarify that would be very helpful.

 

He's being hypothetical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Fans should not be able to dictate what's Canon and what's not, and there's a reason why. Sure you could probably handle it better but that doesn't mean that you can. How is your continuation story any better than mine?

I'm really confused. You're telling me fans shouldn't dictate what comes next, yet you're trying to say your continuation is better than ours, when you haven't even seen anything of ours yet?

 

If you could clarify that would be very helpful.

He's being hypothetical.

No it's just pointing out that by giving special privilege to one fan group, it runs the risk of discrediting the ideas of other fans. Sure it is likely this story group idea could churn out some great stories. But there is something wonderfully individualistic about being able to create "my own story." And if we treat a fan story group as 'canon' it runs the risk of alienating the fan stories created by individuals.

 

Now if the fan story group wants to use "let's make this so high quality it might as well be canon someday," as a goal for themselves to push their creativity and goals, cool go ahead and have fun with it. But if the goal ever becomes twisted into "We are the story group. Our word is canon scripture." type mentality, it could create conflict and anger in the larger Bionicle fan community. That is what makes me nervous about this. If the more humble mentality is the route taken though, I'll gladly watch were the project goes though.

52641688958_d61c0bc049_w(1).jpg.c0871df0de376218d7ca2bc4f409e17d.jpg

All aboard the hype train!

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

Fans should not be able to dictate what's Canon and what's not, and there's a reason why. Sure you could probably handle it better but that doesn't mean that you can. How is your continuation story any better than mine?

I'm really confused. You're telling me fans shouldn't dictate what comes next, yet you're trying to say your continuation is better than ours, when you haven't even seen anything of ours yet?

 

If you could clarify that would be very helpful.

He's being hypothetical.

No it's just pointing out that by giving special privilege to one fan group, it runs the risk of discrediting the ideas of other fans. Sure it is likely this story group idea could churn out some great stories. But there is something wonderfully individualistic about being able to create "my own story." And if we treat a fan story group as 'canon' it runs the risk of alienating the fan stories created by individuals.

 

Now if the fan story group wants to use "let's make this so high quality it might as well be canon someday," as a goal for themselves to push their creativity and goals, cool go ahead and have fun with it. But if the goal ever becomes twisted into "We are the story group. Our word is canon scripture." type mentality, it could create conflict and anger in the larger Bionicle fan community. That is what makes me nervous about this. If the more humble mentality is the route taken though, I'll gladly watch were the project goes though.

 

Exactly what I was already saying. Tuuli doesn't actually have a story of his own yet, he's just asking what the standard is for what will be considered "the best"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...