RahiSpeak

While I do like your argument, I think one can conclude that, as far as the gen-1 use of the word "toa," it is both a species and a title. Tahu was referred to as Toa Tahu all the time in gen-1. The word means "hero." Hero is a title. And don't tell me "this isn't gen-1." Gen-1 logic is practically all we have to go by at the moment. You are absolutely right: in Gen1, "Toa" was both a species and a title (I had thought of that myself, but it did not fit with the rest of my post). However, and I know you said not to do this, this is not Gen1; "Toa" is not title. Think about it: do our heroes celebrate being Toa? Do they try to become better Toa? Does anyone aspire to be a Toa? No, they tout that they are Masters; their quest is to become great Masters; no sooner does the PoF say that Tahu is a Toa than he says Tahu must become a Master, not a better Toa. Whatever meaning "Toa" had in Gen1, the original meaning only stands so long as it is not contridicted by more relevant information and from what I have seen, it has.

From what I have gathered, "Toa" is the name of the species while "Masters" is more of a title. If that is the case (and I am sure it is) then to say, "Toa Tahu", is akin to saying, "Human RahiSpeak". That of course sounds rather odd to specify the species, but to acknowledge one's title, while more formal than many of us are used to, is quite propper (can you say, "Sensei Wu"?). Therefore, I believe that the Toa should be called Masters in reference to their title rather than their species.

As mentioned by others, the first two are called "bone" and "shell", respectively. The third one, however, is termed "BIONICLE shell" on the lego.com SHOP pages.

Skull Basher, no question. C'mon guys: he's purple, has a very unique"bashing" function, got the coolest Skull mask, wields two awesome axe-blades, and comes with the most fascicating of the trans-gold masks; which set could be more epic?

I'd like to give this a try, still within that 24 hours, right?

Whoo! Kind of rushed towards the end, but it's finished! Well, I need to go back over it tomorrow to fix the probable gaps and confusion (my brain power is spent now) but otherwise it is finished. Member Name: RahiSpeak Game Title: ALLEGIANCES: Battle of the Six Armies Game Topic: Right here

STORY: A mysterious substance known as protodermis is discovered on the planet of Spherus Magna. Naturally, everyone wants a piece of it and is not inclined to sharing. Thus begins the Core War; specifically, this is the very beginning of the Core War. OBJECT: Work with your TRIBE to earn more PROTODERMIS than all of the other TRIBES to win. RULES: -All BZP rules apply. -No double-posting. While that may be a general BZP rule already, here it is also a game-mechanic. -Use the bottom-right "Quote" button. This is so it is easy to "rewind" a raid by just clicking the arrow at the top-right of a quote. -Listen to RahiSpeak. I don't know why I would need to exercise any sort of authority, but in the event that I do, let there be no confusion: I'm in charge. If I say you did something wrong I expect you to fix it (unless BZP-staff, for whatever reason, says otherwise). GAMEPLAY: First and foremost, you set up a FORTRESS to defend. Each player receives 100 WALLS, 20 SPIKED WALLS, 1 FORTRESS and 4 TOWER DEFENSES to start with; place them as you wish in your initial post (but at least 4 horizontal spaces from the side and one vertical space from you inventory. Any leftovers (with the exception of the FORTRESS; which must be used) are placed in your inventory at the top of your initial post, which is separated from the battle field by a series of "-"; be sure to name your FORTRESS in the same area. You must also pick your TRIBE; no TRIBE can have two more members than another, so look over the list before joining a TRIBE. All players also start with 350 PROTODERMIS. A suitable example is shown below: NAME: Proto-Powerhouse TRIBE: Fire PROTODERMIS: 350 WALLS x46 SPIKED WALLS x10 TOWER DEFENSES x2 ------------------------------- #==========# ||> Z <|| ||> #=# <|| ||> ||G|| <|| ||> #=# <|| ||> Z <|| #==========# The above is just a general guideline; you may place your inventory anywhere as long as it is clearly separate from your FORTRESS. How you represent what is in your inventory is also up to you; there is no strict way to do anything in your initial post as long as you have all of the information. After your initial post, you are free to attack your enemies as you please, but remember to update this post with any changes. You may also place TROOPS anywhere within your FORTRESS or in your inventory. Raids - To raid, quote your victim's initial post and unleash your TROOPS at will (but outside of the outer-most WALL). You may not attack a FORTRESS that was destroyed in a raid until that player makes another post and you may not raid a FORTRESS if the player is raiding another FORTRESS. You also cannot double-post, so you may not update your TROOPS until someone else has posted after you, but you do not need to wait for your enemy to retaliate. To continue a raid or act in defense of one, continue to quote the last post of that raid then adjust TROOPS and STRUCTURES accordingly. Victory - If you destroy your enemy's FORTRESS, you receive half of their PROTODERMIS (the "smaller half" if it does not split evenly). Defeat - If you are raided and your FORTRESS is destroyed, you lose half of your PROTODERMIS but are also shielded from future raids until you post again. Your FORTRESS and all STRUCTURES are considered automatically repaired. While raiding, you are considered defeated when there are no more TROOPS of your TRIBE on the battle field. You may not return to raid a FORTRESS you have been defeated at until you have raided a different FORTRESS, but you may not pick up at the previous raid; you must start a new one. Surrender - If you declare that you are surrendering to the defender, you lose any TROOPS still on the battle field and the raid ends. You may not surrender when defending. Retreat - If your TROOPS run off of the battle field they are placed into your inventory. You can use this fact to minimize losses when you are thinking of surrender. Proto-mines - Around the time of the Shattering there was plenty of PROTODERMIS to go around. And since I don't want any players to be "out", all players receive 30 PROTODERMIS every five posts. You do not earn fractions of this 30, just 30 PROTODERMIS every five posts. STRUCTURES: All STRUCTURES have the purpose of defending your FORTRESS from enemies, be it by delaying them or flat-out destroying them. Place your STRUCTURES carefully! =, || - WALLS - These keep the enemy out of your fortress, or anywhere else for that matter. While they can be destroyed, they also have very high health, which should buy you enough time for a repulsion. HEALTH POINTS: 125 PRICE(x20): 100 ^, <, >, v - SPIKED WALLS - Dual-purpose: not only are they obstacles for the enemy but they also do damage to them as well! Any enemy (not a friend) that so much as walks by the "spiked" side will feel the sting automatically. Just remember that SPIKED WALLS do not have quite the health of normal WALLS and are harmless on the other three sides. HEALTH POINTS: 60 DAMAGE/POST: 15 PRICE(x20): 130 # - PROTOSEALS - One of the only defenses that doubles as a usable item, PROTOSEALS are indestructible and are placed at intersecting WALLS or SPIKED WALLS. An attacker may also place PROTOSEALS in the defender's FORTRESS to better guide their own TROOPS, but for a price of course (limit five per battle). HEALTH POINTS: Infinite PRICE(x1): 180 Z, N - TOWER DEFENSES - Possessing an infinite vertical(N) and horizontal(Z) range, TOWER DEFENSES are the default stationary-weapon for doing damage to trespassers. However, they do require a line-of-sight and can only fire at one target for each of their two sides. TOWER DEFENSES can also be rotated in mid-battle, but they are inoperable while turning. TOWER DEFENSES do not fire automatically. HEALTH POINTS: 85 DAMAGE/POST: 40 PRICE(x1): 250 G - FORTRESS - Your loot is held here. If completely destroyed, you lose the battle. HEALTH POINTS: 300 x - DAMAGED STRUCTURE - After being destroyed, replace the STRUCTURE (or attacked one: X) with a DAMAGED STRUCTURE. These can be either repaired by TROOPS or passed over. NOTE: Prices and HP liable to be adjusted. ITEMS: Use these to effectively change the outcome of a raid. They are stored in you inventory. # - PROTOSEALS - An attacker may place PROTOSEALS in the defender's FORTRESS to better guide their own TROOPS, but for a price of course (limit five per battle). HEALTH POINTS: Infinite PRICE(x1): 150 O - PROTO-BLAST - Attacker or defender may use this, but be warned: it makes no discrimination between friend or foe. When used, all surrounding TROOPS and STRUCTURES are destroyed (except for PROTOSEALS). HEALTH POINTS: 0 (remove in next post) DAMAGE/POST: Infinite PRICE(x1): 220 C - SHOCK WAVE - This handy ITEM "attacks" all surrounding enemy TROOPS when first used but deals no damage, rendering them immobile for ten posts. HEALTH POINTS: Infinite (remove after ten posts) DAMAGE/POST: 0 PRICE(x1): 190 NOTE: Prices may need adjustment. TROOPS: Being the mobile units of your army, TROOPS play a particularly important role in success and failure. Each TRIBE has a special buff for its TROOPS that gives an advantage in battle. TROOPS may not move through an area smaller than their width. There are two types of TROOPS: F, J, W, E, S, I - GLATORIAN - These fellows are naturally quite adept to fighting enemies, be them in your fortress or in someone else's. So, naturally, GLATORIAN do double the damage to other troops, GLATORIAN or AGORI. Every GLATORIAN is also equipped with a THORNAX launcher which, providing it has line-of-sight, can be fired with infinite range vertically or horizontally but not at point-blank range (8 horizontal spaces/2 vertical spaces; THORNAX do not do double-damage to TROOPS). The capital letters representing GLATORIAN, being the first letter of each TRIBE, are used to differentiate between TRIBES. HEALTH POINTS: 65 DAMAGE/POST: 15 WIDTH: 4 PRICE: 30 f, j, w, e, s, i - AGORI - Not quite as good at fighting, AGORI serve mainly as the builders (or demolition-crew). Hence, they posses double the repair-speed and do double the damage to structures. The letters representing AGORI, being the first letter of each TRIBE, are used to differentiate between TRIBES. HEALTH POINTS: 50 DAMAGE/POST: 10 WIDTH: 3 PRICE: 15 Movement - All TROOPS can only move vertically or horizontally and must continue to move for infinity until blocked by a STRUCTURE or TROOP, or until attacked; these are mandatory stops. Stopping is optional if passing an immediately adjacent TROOP, passing an immediately adjacent DAMAGED STRUCTURE (only to make repairs), or passing over a DAMAGED STRUCTURE (only to make repairs; leave as adjacent). Attacking - Unless using a THORNAX launcher, TROOPS must be immediately adjacent to their target in order to attack. TROOPS can attack STRUCTURES or other TROOPS. After the initial strike, replace the target with an "X" to signify the target is being attacked. Once a TROOP has begun to attack something, it can no longer move or switch targets until the present one is defeated/destroyed. The damage per post of a TROOP can be increased if there are other TROOPS of the same TRIBE immediately adjacent to it. Damage output of single TROOP will then be the sum of its own damage per post and that of the adjacent TROOPS. However, the adjacent TROOPS will also be locked onto the target until defeated/destroyed. If being attacked, that TROOP is no longer able to move but may choose to attack any adjacent target. Repairing - DAMAGED STRUCTURES can be repaired by immediately adjacent TROOPS; repair-speed is equal to damage per post. Repairs cannot be made while being attacked. When fully repaired, replace the DAMAGED STRUCTURE with the original STRUCTURE. NOTE: Damage dealt or repairs made are nullified if the active TROOP is defeated mid-attack/repair; the same goes for damage dealt by STRUCTURES. This is so that no one has to remember the HP of an entire army. TRIBES: Your TRIBE is your support-group; the members are you teammates. There is no limit to how many members can be on a TRIBE as long as no TRIBE has two more members than another. You can join a TRIBE at any time. To win, your TRIBE will need to work together to achieve the greatest amount of PROTODERMIS of all the TRIBES. If a TRIBE has one less member than another TRIBE, the former will receive additional PROTODERMIS equal to the average PROTODERMIS of its members at the end of the game. Assistance - One useful aspect of TRIBES is that the other members are able to assist in the defense of your FORTRESS even if you are not available yourself, which is good considering that no one is able to monitor their FORTRESS 24/7. Members who are helping to defend your FORTRESS may control any TROOP of your TRIBE whether deployed by them or not. TROOPS deployed by members must start outside of your FORTRESS. TRIBES are also able to assist in attacking enemy FORTRESSES. Profits from attacking are split evenly among the victorious members with the initial attacker receiving the "larger half" if the loot will not split evenly. There is no limit to the number of members that can assist you at one time, however, you must give permission to do so; be sure to ask for assistance if you want it. If you see someone who has not asked for assistance, odds are they do not want it; you may not assist them. Trading - Among the tradable goods between members of a TRIBE are TROOPS and ITEMS; the exchange of PROTODERMIS or STRUCTURES is not permitted. To trade, declare what you are giving, how much, and who to, then subtract that from your inventory. While called trading, no one actually has to give anything back (so really, it's more "giving"), however, it may be a good idea to give something in return later on when you are better off. This will make you seem more desirable to trade with. Strategy - Whether it be who to attack or what to trade, strategy amongst a TRIBE can be very useful. Whatever you are discussing, include it at the bottom of your post with plenty of space between that and the bottom-most STRUCTURE (four spaces should be good). Some things worth advertising are whether you are accepting any sort of assistance or what TROOPS/ITEMS you need. NOTE: It should sort of go without saying, but you may not attack a member of your own TRIBE. Also, collaboration between TRIBES is not allowed; you may not attack a FORTRESS another TRIBE is attacking or trade with a member outside of your TRIBE. FIRE TRIBE: BUFF: FIERY THORNAX - THORNAX do double-damage to TROOPS. MEMBERS: JUNGLE TRIBE: BUFF: AGILITY - TROOPS are able to perform a single sidestep per TROOP per post. MEMBERS: WATER TRIBE: BUFF: RANGE OF MOTION - TROOPS are able to attack and repair diagonally (excludes THORNAX). MEMBERS: EARTH TRIBE: BUFF: MULTI-TASKING - TROOPS are able to attack and repair multiple targets at once (excludes THORNAX). MEMBERS: SAND TRIBE: BUFF: PENETRATION - TROOPS are able to do damage to both an adjacent WALL or SPIKED WALL and to the adjacent TROOP/STRUCTURE on the other side. MEMBERS: ICE TRIBE: BUFF: EXTRA ARMOR - TROOPS have an additional 10 heath points. MEMBERS: Questions and suggestions are encouraged! Also, being on the late-side where I am, there is a good possibility that I forgot something (or a lot of things), so please point those things out! (There are still probably other things that you would not notice so I will take a closer look at this tomorrow; there are certainly some things that need to be reworded; a premise and a story might be nice. Again, I'll proof-read this tomorrow, just trying to make the G&T Contest deadline). EDIT: Fixed some things, although I have a nagging feeling that's not all. Anyway, perhaps it is a little more understandable.

I think Junkbot's interpretation is about as good as you will get, but I do have an addition to it concerning the Mask of Creation. All of the minds within the MU, including the MU itself, are artificial. If the Mask of Creation were simply to tap in to such resources as Mata Nui's memories or a matoran's experiences then the ability to create anything an MU resident can imagine would come easy.

That is absolutely incredible! I would also like to know how much that all cost, but price aside, what do plan to do with all of those unopened mask-packs? Will they all remain sealed? Are you going to sell them on Ebay? Or will these masks be used for their intended purpose: building?

Oh I totally plan on entering this, but I do have a question: after entering a game into the contest, am I allowed to do some minor rebalancing? You know, perhaps something costs too little and people are buying too much of it, or maybe a certain item is way too OP; can I fix those? Does that count as changing a "major game rule"?

I believe you will get the same answer from everyone: no. As much as it hurts to say, if he has not picked up the pen by this point, he is not likely to do it at all.

Agreed. Although I would still like to see a unique approach as well.

A TV-show has nothing to do with story-potential; TV is just a medium for a story to take place in (like books and animated shorts), not the story itself. Personally, I would not mind a TV-show, but only under the condition that it would be done well. After seeing just a little of HERO FACORY, Ninjago, and Legends of Chima, I do not think that LEGO currently has the capacity of directing a good TV-show. A bad TV-show certainly is not better than no TV-show, therefore, it might be best if LEGO decided not to go down that route at all. Besides, the first generation of BIONICLE was like a testing-grounds for media, perhaps this time around we can expect a media-revolution; something different than they have ever done before?

True, however, the type of technology required to build a vahki is one that makes the odds of stumbling across something like wireless communication very high; it is very unlikely that some matoran would not make such a discovery. That is why I suggested some sort of interference: because there is so much "noise", there is not much else to hear. The mechanics required for each method of communication are virtually the same; a vahki could use them interchangeably. Since matoran aren't supposed to understand fast-speak anyway, replacing that with something like a spectrogram won't create any other problems.

Nope, no chance of finding everyday deals like that in New York. Good for you though!

Mata Nui. There were 58 of these guys fighting in the final battle between big-robot and bigger-robot (with entourages).

Being a rules-guy, it is not often that I hear an alternative to cannon that I like so much better that I would be willing to accept it; this is fabulous! This gives purpose to the otherwise pointlessly uninteligible chatter of the vahki; such a method of communication could convey volumes more information than simple speech: maps, faces, clues, and more. Fast matoran-speek would be quicker than this proposal except that any single vahki could selectively choose what information it wanted to communicate. Rather than discuss the surroundings in HD, a group of vahki could plan around a low-resolution map of the area. For the purposes of the vahki, this is much more valuable than "clumsy" words; it maximizes the transmition of spatial information in much less time. Of course, it would just make more sense to coordinate strategies wirelessly rather then bother with such short-ranged mediums such as sound. Then again, do we see wireless anything in the MU? Perhaps the GSR has some internal interference that makes wireless communication impossible.

Kikanalo. Every skakdi's worst nightmare.

Takanuva. He cannabalizes bohrok for a sick ride.

Perhaps it would be wise to look into automation; it would certainly save Tufi Piyufi the week+ long effort and is not a difficult thing to do. Then again, I have never learned the internet-side of it, so maybe I am mistaken?

Function: Mask of Creation - The ability to make anything is the power to do anything. Appearance: Ignika - Really, I cannot speak of any true favorite because most masks appeal in different ways. But however many masks qualify as being my "favorites" now, the Ignika was the first mask that I ever truly wanted, but I do not have any clear idea as to why.

Question, what makes you think that Lewa is to be under the influences of a Skull Spider?

The Great Beings. Skakdi-built robo-spiders.

Don't get me wrong, MNOG was good and there will always be a soft spot for it in the BIONICLE fan-community, but times have changed and it may just be something completely impractical to resurrect. LEGO is a proclaimed master in their market; so while it would be great for there to be another similar game, LEGO's numerous studies may indicate that such a game would not reach the popularity necessary to make the endeavor worthwhile. Then again, the lego.com of today features some of the worst, most poorly made games in history, which is quite a departure from the entertaining ones that they used to have. Perhaps those studies also indicate that few people have ever frequented the games section. After all, the site has warned me more than once that it implements cookies; they must know what everyone has been doing there and it has nothing to do with games. I suppose what I am trying to say is that while an MNOG-style game would invoke nostalgia in long-time fans, virtually no one else would appreciate it. Anyway, as far as the Gen2 story in general goes, at very least the current story is open-ended. At any time, story-quality can be ramped up with absolutely no restrictions caused by the previous plot.

Actually, the reason that Spherus Magna is believed to be so huge has to do with calculations based off of some images depicting both Spherus Magna and Mata Nui. I made links to these images in post #4.