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@flameman: Thanks. I tried to keep the MOC true to some aspects of the original set, seen below. As you can see, he has a pair of tubes going to his back. They are black, for whatever reason, so I changed that. But as for the weapons, I wanted to improve on what the set had. In regard to Matoro's main color, I always see the mask as the indicator of "primary color". Or at least, the exterior armor. Unfortunately when you posted the bigger, brighter pictures were not up, so you couldn't see that the majority of Technic pieces are white. So yes, his primary color is silver, but his secondary and tertiary colors are blue and white. And there is quite a bit of white, but layered properly under silver and next to blue. I found one of the set's problems to be the improper layering of silver ... but I need not go on. Thanks to all else who posted, keep it coming!

@Dragonfly: as this is a modification of my Nuva Project form, I'll be posting instructions (or giving links to a gallery) for the torso etc. The torso requires very little modification of pieces; just removal of excess axle and the diagonal struts of the Mahri chest plate, plus some super gluing if you want it to hold for a long time (Nuva plates and waist). So, because all my Nuva will have similarly constructed torsos and limbs, I think I will do instructions then, as I am still assembling Kopaka. As to the application of the design, I find the thigh to work well with nearly anything, from titan arms to Piraka legs. The construct allows for a variety of properly layered color combinations. The torso can be perceived as feminine more than masculine, so it works well with female Toa (using different colors would make it less Nuva-like). The arms are extraordinarily difficult to make, especially the hands, don't work with anything but MOCs of that size (Matoro's, and the regular ones yet to be posted). I suggest swapping Inika for Piraka armor, using fun new color schemes, etc. The reliance on Technic allows turquoise, purple, orange, yellow - nearly anything as a secondary color. Anywhoo, I'll be getting to giving instructions on the torso as soon as my schedule allows. Personally I think the limbs are more applicable to other MOCs, but maybe the torso could be part of a larger MOC (dragon paw part?) ...

Thank you very much DeeVee! I took a look back and now I see where you all meant by details. To me they were pretty insignificant, but if one wants to know how it's put together nothing can be in shadow like here. Thanks for the advice!

Absolutely incredible. The sheer scale is commendable, but you have done a brilliant job of layering the color here. At first I thought the tail and neck were not flexible horizontally (no pictures showing it) but I'll take your word that they are. The dark blue and medium blue are surprisingly cohesive, except for on the head - add more, evenly distributed, particularly next to white (sort of as a fade) and the nose won't stick out at all. Or you could do away with the medium blue altogether, and it would look a whole lot better. The orange Kalmah tentacles could be black, but looking at the whole thing makes them look okay with the gold. The eyes could be better as green or translucent orange zamors. The Technic torso looks just a bit out of place - maybe armor it with Bionicle? Overall, this is an awe-inspiring MOC that I'm going to suggest putting on the front page. It certainly exceeds anything they have put there before. Excellent work!

@Kakaru: Wow, thanks! I waited until I had the appropriate equipment to take pictures of any of MOCs, once I knew it was on its way. Yes, the thumb pieces are modified. The base is a cut and sanded and polished part of a 1 x 8 x 2 bar and the inserted piece is a cut and sanded lance base: The base is that cylindrical bar insert, with some bar still attached. The perpendicular bars on the lance is cut off and the longer part is trimmed. In regard to the Ignika, you're right. I was going for a distorted texture throughout, but I am planning (with some motivation now) to do yet another Ignika (this will be the third one) that is selectively damaged, and more golden. I've been thinking I will make a mold and do it with milliput though, so it will take a while (and after I finish all my other masks). @Drelcax: sure, I've already made the picture but Brickshelf is, while working, not working well enough to allow me to upload new pictures. Once it does, I'll be posting it. @DeeVee: I've put several big pictures on, one lower down on the page and a couple on the original post. You're right, many pieces are cut, sanded, glued etc. and many people do oppose ... with my bigger MOCs I do it much less because of the versatility the scale allows, but for smaller MOCs, particularly mid-sized ones, I found originality and/or flow to require modifications. Otherwise I'm left with generic limbs, too-big Toa, and incongruous armor. To everyone, thank you very much. Now in regard to all the picture comments: I do not understand why some perceive them to be too dark or too small. On my computer, they seem very big and adequately light. Keep in mind that nearly all internet browsers have a zoom function. Mine is on 100%, and my laptop screen is on the lowest brightness setting. I am also two feet away from it ... so it is rather perplexing to read that the pictures are not big or bright enough. Regardless, I would like to know how to link the pictures to bigger ones (once Bricklink is fully functional again). It might be a little late for Matoro, but it would be enormously advantageous for all my future MOCs. Thanks!

Wow, I never read any fan fiction before, but this was on the homepage, and I see why! Uncluttered style, direct and fitting. I could suggest changing "feeling" to something more impersonal, like "sensation" or "awareness" or "sense". It would make the realization seem more like a machine being analytical at first, coming to a more acute and organic consciousness and the word "care". I hope to read more from you, continuing this story. It is wonderful.

@Gravity: Thanks, and yes, that is a yellow heart light. All of my MOCs get a heart light, and it is usually easy like it is here - what was difficult was getting the eyepiece from green to yellow. Alcohol ink, yellow decor pray stain and a yellow sharpie are handy for that.

@Nick Silverpen: yep, the waist can swivel. The Cordak blaster originally had a bulb on one side, with some exposed axle. I removed the bulb and whittled down the axle's dimensions (as exposed axles for design are thickened for structural support) leaving about a half-stud (1/4 of a two-piece) axle bit that fits into the open axle socket on the bottom of his hand. Since it is still a bit larger than usual, it fits snugly. Then I made the holes for the tubes ...@Lord Oblivion: yeah, the knees are a bit exposed - I was thinking about adding a kneecap to the design. Unfortunately the feet had to be white to use the Mata foot. I tried to balance it out with other large white sections (back of the legs and top of the thighs) but they do stand out. I may have done them with light bluish grey had not I used the only pair available on Tahu. Got them from Germany, and I don't think there are any more, new or used, on the website that cannot be named (evidently our favorite Lego reseller has a forum). Alternatively I could do as I have done with my Toa Ignika and add some pieces to the front of the foot, but the shape dosn't really work and it requires sanding and gluing ... @Ranubis: yeah the back is standard on all my Toa with this design. What's great is that here it serves as an air tank thingy, and on the Nuva it serves as a jetpack of sorts. Well, thanks to all for your great comments, questions, and criticisms, I'll be sure to post bigger, brighter pictures (this afternoon perhaps, eastern time) ...

Sure Brickeens: There are some large ones in the gallery (may be a little while until public), but I learned with my first posted MOC that it is best to only post small pictures, otherwise it won't load quickly and viewers will lose interest. This one should suffice for now, though

Thanks all. @Takal, I used to have exactly what you're saying. Sand, flat rocks, coral/seaweed, etc. all for a Bionicle display of the Mahri Matoran I made a while back - would have been awesome for this, but I don't know what happened to it after I moved to PA ... The lighting is thanks to a light tent, which I simulated before with my Toa Ignika pictures with a home-made one, but this one came with lights and everything - and it helps to have a digital SLR camera and completion of a photography class, with Picasa to do some minor fixes.

Note: all pictures now are linked to bigger and typically brighter versions.Well, it's been a while since I've posted a MOC. I've improved upon my Nuva design (seen here), and altered it a bit to make Matoro. The main problems, such as a thin waist, no "hands", etc. are solved (hopefully) and since Roodaka needs painted pieces and everyone else needs their masks to be finished sculpting (and Brutaka and Lariska are in the final stages of development) I thought I might as well share this incarnation of Matoro. Bulkier waist and hip guard, custom Ignika With Cordak launcher, big image as requested Arm and hand detail, opposable thumb (its base rotates, beam flips etc.), picture inks to detail of the hand Back view, custom trimmed and yellowed eyes The twin cutters move independently, big image as requested . . . . . . Amazing what an exacto knife, acrylic paint, and clear spraypaint enamel can do Gallery when public, with many more images. Comments, constructive criticism, and questions are welcomed earnestly.

Very neat - I like the idea of no mouth and a sleek head. Color scheme - I don't know that's what Greg meant by blue and green. I was thinking of dark blue and teal, perhaps.

Nice mask concept, even while it isn't so refined. The body is a bit Inika-ish, not much custom there. I do like the weapons very much. Overall, very well done.

Wow, really well done! The proportions are excellent, I've never seen MOC legs so human-like. While it does seem rather fragile, and the head could stand to be a it bigger (I'm not familiar with what this is based on, though) it looks great. The color scheme reminds me of the HF 'patchy" look, with the white or transparent armor that seems to be random - it looks pretty good here with the white and yellow. Although if you are not tied down by the basis from which this MOC was inspired, you may consider creating a more uniform color scheme (perhaps adding more while around everywhere, taking some off the hands, adding a bit more yellow, etc).Overall, this is a wholly satisfying MOC that has one of the most unique designs I have ever seen.

Sure, people would look closer if they give a post, having to refer back to the MOC several times. However, I think that viewers might give more than a passing glance to a great looking MOC, and will notice the lack of custom. Personally, the level of custom actually determines a great deal of how good the MOC is, and especially how much I like it (which is why all my own MOCs are 100% custom). I think it would be recognized within a few seconds of viewing. But of course maybe people don't care about no custom designs. It could just be an Inika build with an interesting color scheme, and the viewer will like it so much he or she would give it five stars. I feel as though if people have something important to say, they will post. If they don't, it would be nice to get at least an opinion of it. people ask each other every day on their general opinion of their clothes, hair, artwork, penmanship, and a miscellany of other things without requiring details or explanation, and it helps. Especially when a MOC gets a few posts (good as they may be) and a hundred views - maybe having that general opinion of like or dislike will give broader feedback, even if it offers no detail.Also, imagine if a MOC gets 25 posts - what could subsequent posts tell the MOCist? Everything would have been stated, so agreeing with others and giving an opinion is what most do, if they post at all. So a rating system would fulfill that purpose.

Sure, but would you actually do that? You're making assumptions about what others would do in such a situation, yet I doubt you or I would rate a no-custom MOC 5/5. Your detailed review summery is essentially what I would give, because a rating system doesn't convey the necessary information about why it would receive a poor rating. The existence of a rating system only would get a general opinion from the people who don't care to leave a comment. It's up to the regular reviewers to explain the rating, maybe contradict it, etc. I think that people would post just as much as they ever did, but the rating would be additional. It would not, by any leap in my imagination, deter the people who want to give advice from advising. Also, if you read my latest post, it could be optional.

It already has a solid fan base, and after HF runs out of steam, the builds will be fresh and innovative. There will be a surge of consumption just from previous Bionicle fans, along with HF fans. And hopefully, the reborn Bionicle will be better than ever, drawing in more fans.Additionally, the story line is at a point that allows a fresh start, like on Mata Nui. Whole lot of mystery, unknown, but with characters we know and love (with new ones too). The possibilities are immense, with the characters and the settings and the plot. Also, Lego has BZP as a resource for advice on rebooting Bionicle.

Spink, Paleo, and Velox - You do bring up some good points. The rating system could discourage people. It could bias people. My optimism inclines me to think that a poor rating would motivate a MOCist to do better and motivate the more experienced MOCists to give advice. I would hope that this rating system would give people who just want to look at "good" MOCs (assuming the highly liked indication from the rating is a reflection of quality) a means to do so.Think about it - would people only wanting to see the better MOCs even post when they see a lesser one? Honestly, if a mediocre MOC has several posts already, and I have little to offer, I move on. If I see one with none or a couple then I post, and if I see a really good MOC that I can actually comment on (meaningfully) then I will do so. However, I see several incredible MOCs, such as so many from Brickeens, that leave me with just an impression of "Wow! Well done!" and so I don't post because that does not add anything.I don't think that the ratings would be spam. Conveying one's level of fondness on a scale from mild dislike to great commendation isn't stupid. It is no more pointless than an actual post conveying the same idea. And I cannot see how it could be considered annoying.But honestly, I know I am assuming the best, and you all are citing the more pessimistic of probabilities. Discouragement of MOCists, bias, promoting of spam and inhibiting posting. These are all pragmatic and reasonable outcomes, but I think I know how to avoid them.Perhaps this rating system could be optional for both parties: the viewers and the topic starter, the former of which could elect to block the ratings from being shown to them, the latter choosing to have a rating in the first place. Possibly if the rating bothers the topic starter, he or she may remove it or make it private to him or herself. Perhaps the results could be private to the topic starter to being with. And maybe these abilities could be available only with premier membership, thus adding incentive to those who want this capability, and helping out BZP financially in the process.So, with such flexibility, people would be able to use the system or not. It could help those who choose to benefit from it, and those who are dissatisfied don't have to deal with it. How about this then?

I think most of you are making some rather unfortunate assumptions about how people would react to seeing a rating. Most prominently, it has been said that people would be discouraged from posting or even going to the topic altogether.But what would YOU do? Brickeens, Velox, Riglax, etc.: would you allow yourselves to become biased towards the MOC? Would you choose not to go to the topic because of a rating? Would you be saddened by a low rating? Would you seriously go to the BBC forum to post and than decide not to because you can just give a star rating?I would not imagine so. I certainly would not. I would get the same motivation to become better at MOCing with a five-star rating as a "well done" or "it's OK". I would actually choose the poorly rated topics in order to give help to where it's needed. I would not go to a topic intending to post and then decide, even though I have advice to offer, to then add to a general opinion of how much I like the MOC.I know I am making assumptions too about how people will react, and that is based on my hypothetical reactions. I just don't think you all are basing your assumptions on how you would react. Additionally, how would this rating system be any worse than the profile rating system? It has no value, but this one has the potential to be beneficial.Of course there is the possibility that people wouldn't like it, that it would have the negative effects you all presume it would. Could it be put to a vote? Is it even a realistic feature to be added (difficult)?

Neat. I would try to make the greys homogeneous (all bluish or all original darks and lights). Such as with the gears on the bottom. Does the crank spin the gun part? Well, while the gatling gun is great, the rest seems more like a rototiller. Maybe setting the bohrok sides flat and using a propeller instead, using wheels and all and attaching the gun, would make it look more Lawn Mower esque. Very creative!

The general opinion that I am seeing is that a star rating system would discourage discussion. Why would it? Riglax makes an excellent point - it would remove the spam posts that provide nothing to discussion. And all the viewers who don't post anyways can give a general opinion.A general opinion is typically included in a decent reply anyway, such as: "Overall, it's very good." But people who don't post because they have nothing else to say could use such a system to convey that. Brickeens, this system would not say how "good" a MOC is, it would tell how much people like it (on a scale from 1 to 5, most probably). Also, as I stated, the voting could only occur once the topic was opened - thus there is as much verification for a rating as there is for a post in regards to seeing the MOC. Also, people who intend on giving meaningful responses won't be deterred from doing so just because they also can give a rating. Would you? I wouldn't. The benefit of the rating system is that it would encourage people to look at topics that have good ratings, and those with poor ratings will draw people who like to help out with suggestions and so forth. I highly doubt that people who would give a response that has something to offer would just click a star and be done with it, in fact, I think that those people would be ENCOURAGED to help out the more poorly-rated MOCs because they intend on giving advice. Allow me to give a real, and recent, example: "Downtime MOC #4: Toa Jala" by TuragaNuva. As of today, it received but two short replies (one being my own) in its eight days of existence. Views? One hundred and ninety one! Now then, it is a fairly good MOC, while it has its problems. I would rate it a 3 out of 5. Think about this though: 189 other people viewed this MOC without commenting. There are numerous reasons why not to comment: time constraints, too good (not enough to say), too bad (overwhelming amount to say), a lack of interest in the MOC, or a lack of ideas to offer. But any viewer will know if they like it or not, even if they have nothing useful to say.So would any MOCist want over a hundred people's opinions whether they like it much or not so much? I would. I also want new ideas, helpful insights, and so on. But look at TuragaNuva's topic - only two people actually cared enough, or had enough to say, in order to post. I would like to have even a glimmer of an opinion from the hundred other people who saw it, instead of nothing.That is what a rating system would provide - not a deterrant for those who have advice to give, but a means to convey a very general opinion for those who otherwise would not.

That sounds better. Yeah, that could happen. However, if something has few stars, the people who want to critique it will do so anyway. Some people just don't post if there is too much or too little to say about the MOC. What the desired effect of this system would be is to get opinions from everyone who doesn't have anything to say, nothing to add, or doesn't have the time to comment. Sure, there isn't useful feedback to help improve the builder's skills. However, I see many topics with views in the hundreds, and posts in the mere dozens. So instead of having hundreds of viewers not contributing anything at all, the builder could then see what a much broader opinion of their MOC is. Personally, I would like an average score from a much more vast selection of members even at the expense of those short, rushed, or repetitive posts that occur when there is nothing much to say about the MOC. Only the people who want to give a review will, and those who have nothing but "Good job!" or "Pretty good." to say could much more easily give a rating and contribute the same idea. As above, plenty of people don't give much constructive criticism anyway. Also, vastly more people view the MOC without posting than the few that do. The rating system's only purpose is to provide a means to express a general opinion. Those that want to critique, meaningfully, will still do so along with rating. Providing such a means ought not deter someone planning on saying something helpful. It might deter those who give a sentence or two that has no real constructive criticism anyway. Thank you! I thought since it pertained strictly to the BBC forum it should go here, but I had my doubts.

I am not sure if it is at all possible to add a feature to the BBC forum, yet I thought I might suggest it if the possibility exists:What would you think of a rating system (1-5 stars) that accompanied the title of every topic on the BBC forum? That way, people can simply share their opinion even if they don't have anything to post. Furthermore, people browsing the forum can get a hint of what they're going to be looking at before choosing a topic (generally the rating would suggest something about if they would be able to offer advice, or if it is something they would really want to see).I suppose you could only vote after opening the topic (thus seeing the pictures) and the results could be seen both after the title in the topic lists and within the topic itself.So, what do you think?EDIT: I would like to note for any future responses that one should take into account his or her own hypothetical reactions to having a five-star rating system. That system being, not representing quality, but rather, the degree of how much the members like the MOC (from not much to a great deal, etc.) in order to express the views of the literal hundreds of people that view but do not post.EDIT: Here is a possible list of abilities that may be associated with such a function:

I still object to the mind swipe idea - there are numerous possibilities for a GREAT BEING to have bypassed or shielded himself from such a process. Kapura, if a GB, would have the intellect and possibly greater mental capabilities (Tren Krom retained his even when his mind was in Lewa's brain) and could have foreseen what was going to happen, devising some way to stop it. Perhaps a GB mind just cannot be altered by one of their creations, either by a failsafe or by the mere inability of their creations. How did their minds get swiped anyway? Was it Makuta using his own mental abilities? If so, we have seen how greater mental powers can protect from weaker ones.

Unfortunately, I've tried to offer similar ideas too and it gets nowhere. Mine was a very simplistic vascular/circulatory system in which LP was the "blood". I used numerous quotes from Greg too, such as how LP dissolves air just as it would in the ocean. But without getting into too much detail here, I can tell you that it eventually was shot down not because it wasn't logical or acceptable, but because it was just unnecessary information. It would not become canonized.Another reason is that there is a BZP group, whose name I have forgotten, that basically looks over such theories to see if they should go on to Greg for canonization. If it doesn't go through them, apparently, there is little chance for this.Anywhoo, nice thoughts on the subject, but I'm not sure what your plan to do with them was.