Turaga Majice

Dang. Well, I'll choose to take Samuel Johnson's words earlier in the video as a clue that maybe they won't release a Bionicle Ideas set because they're planning to do more Bionicle in the near future. We did hear rumblings of teases from Faber about new Bionicle stuff last year, so maybe that's coming to fruition soon.

Re-entered the BZP forums after months and months to thank you for this. I have been lamenting for some time that I no longer have my old books, and that you can't easily get them again. I'm bookmark this topic, I'm gonna download it all, and I'm gonna hold onto it for as long as I can. Thank you.

I would be happy to keep track of any typos I find along the way, as recompense.

So, you typed this up yourself? Like... over a dozen of Greg Farshtey's novels? That must make you as masterful an impersonator of his style as anyone could be. Out of curiosity, noticed anything that's particularly him about his writing? Like, a turn of phrase or a formatting that you could single out as a habit of his?

I think G2 proved to LEGO that they can't try to make Bionicle happen by half-measures. G1 worked in a time when people didn't want Lego bricks; we now live in a time where the brick is queen, and recognized IPs are king. If they do Bionicle again, they will make it a line of system sets, they'll wait for if/when their good fortune turns around, or they'll do it with a great deal more story material, to prove to their prospective audience why Bionicle is worth as much of their interest as, say, Star Wars is.

As someone who has seen good and bad in both generations of Bionicle, I'm fine with there being a third generation regardless of quality. I'll probably be into it any form it takes. But I would like for them to try to hit the ground running, next gen, with a story universe at least as complex as G1 got from 2006 onward. Maybe even start with a theatrical film, and try to have the films buoy the toys, a la Transformers.

Wow. This was... unexpected. I kind of assumed BIONICLE would have at least three years. I guess it's time to give a funereal retrospective.

I have not been 100% optimistic about G2's prospects. I keep in mind that G1 started out about as basic as G2 has been, and that we got the sweet lore and universe only four years in. The first few years were a romp around on a tropical island, spliced with a weird burst of arguing for no reasons. So I've been happy to show my support with my wallet, enjoying the figures and the stories that Lego set down for them while also creating my own things with their pieces, and my own stories at my leisure. Still, where G1 was loose in terms of narrative and character writing, it was immensely powerful in atmosphere, almost entirely due to the Mata Nui Online Game. There was a vibe of stoic sincerity to the MNOG that reverberated through the rest of the years afterward, but G2 never had that. It felt more like the Saturday Morning Cartoon version of Bionicle. Still, I figured years would mature it.

We'll never know how good G2 could have been, given time, and for that I'm sad. There were little teases of greater narrative strings -- the Mask of Time, the Mask of Ultimate Power, the mystery of who the Skulls were, where the Skull Spiders come from.

I guess there's a bright side. G3 will happen at some point, and Lego may favor G3 more than G2. Perhaps G3 will even be a continuation of G1. While I wait, I'll do as I did before. I'll build, I'll play. I'll remember. I won't promise that I'll be on the forums much. For much of G2 I haven't been, really, but moreso than in the lull between generations. I'll try to keep an eye on what you all do, though, more than last time. Maybe even contribute. We'll see.

I gotta give it a C+, overall. Umarak was the best part, in my mind, and I'm hopeful that it improves from here.

Totally agree with Munty, that skeleton is brilliant! I like the whole look of the thing.

I'm not sure what to criticize. I dunno. His body type isn't the same as it was in G1? It's better, but it's not the same! And that blade staff! It matches his colour scheme now! Stop doing that. Making it match his colour scheme. Stop that.

100% awesome. I even like the hood. Man, and you got to do a custom head! I tried to do that with Zaktan, but the orange head doesn't sit right in the rubbery face.

There's really very little I can criticize, here. Really just comes down to nitpicks. I guess I'd say those twiggy add-ons to the staff detract from its appearance, to me. And while his thigh armor masks are sweet, they look a bit too out-of-place in details. But they're a great idea, and a great placement. It's more like it's the mask's fault, I guess, for not living up to the idea. I love the addition of back spikes. Makes him more like his bros.

Dude, that's sweet. That gun is ridiculously clever. The chest armor arrangement and the hip plates are really smooth. Your use of the cape is interesting! It's villainous in a strangely flamboyant way (which fits that smug Hakaan). You even made the gun swivel to claw mode! I made a Zaktan for the contest (not as cool), and that's one of the things I feel like I should've done.

The lower legs and arms do look a bit too G1. The best I can say for that is to hunt down some G2 parts that work for the role. The lower arms could be replaced (though they'd be shorter) with some o' these. Slap a dark red armor plate on that, and bam. It's G2. Legs, regular old CCBS lower leg section with... hm... not a lot of dark red armor to work with, eh? No dark red torso armor out there that I've seen.

This contest is deceptively challenging, isn't it? I think it'll be the black, white, silver and gray MOCs that'll look best. Seen the Vezon one?

I would've loved to use black pauldrons on his shoulders; alas, I have none! I only bought CCBS sets I thought looked cool between 2010 and 2015, and none of them happened to have black pauldrons.

My ideal version of this guy would have green chest plates  (from Chi Cragger) on his legs instead of black ones, green arm/leg plates (from Chi Cragger or Ogrum) instead of gold on his upper and lower arms and legs, and black pauldrons (from Black Phantom or Toxic Reapa) instead of gunmetal. And a gold chest plate instead of the gunmetal one on his torso, from I-dunno-what (but it exists!). Well, I suppose ideal would be hypothetical dark green pauldrons, but no such things were ever wrought.

Thanks for the kind words!

Thanks! I tried for the switch-weapons-mode -- I couldn't make something that worked and fit the G2 theme. It was a bizarre design choice (with particular piece shapes) for the original Piraka sets, and it never appeared before or again.

"Toa. You are an anachronism -- pure and noble heroes, still striving for right in a universe of chaos, unwilling to admit that your day is long over."

- Zaktan, BIONICLE Legends 1: Island of Doom

[ http://i.imgur.com/rHpXJJC.jpg ]

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Zaktan merited more focus in the plot of G1 BIONICLE; like, I think he should have been a major player in the Mahri Nui and Karda Nui plots. His position is engaging and interesting, since most other antagonists in the setting are smug supervillains. I like a villain that works about as hard as (if not harder than) the heroes. Here's to seeing him again in G2, sometime! Perhaps in search for the Mask of Ultimate Power.
 
Must say, dark green and sand green CCBS parts are not easy to come by. I was tempted to hunt down some two-year-old Legend of Chima sets for the dark green armor plates, but I wouldn't get them before the contest deadline anyways. I also thought about using Ben 10 claw hands, which were rather fitting. But the dude needed some more dark green and the ability to hold his signature three-blade scissor and zamor launcher. Hope you guys like it!

Edit: Image linked; please keep posted images in BBC to 640x640 px and 100 kB.

-Wind-

Entry Name: Kiol, the Horned Soldier

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Story: Kiol walks alone. A great evil overtook his mighty race, and holds its future in a vice grip. The elders told Kiol of a place where mystical powers are forged to be wielded by heroes in times of need -- and in this desperate hour, Kiol seeks ultimate power to challenge this great evil and save his people. The people of this foreign island and their heroes mean nothing to him, unless they stand in his way -- then they are his foes. Kiol will not stop his hunt until he wears the Mask of Ultimate Power, or death claims him. For the Horned Soldier, there is no other course of action.

Kinda dislike the gear functions, actually. Historically, I find that the gear functions mean the limbs that use them are loose and swingy. I tend to prefer sets that lack gears and projectiles. If the gears turn out as I fear this time, I'll just modify the dealio.

I'll probably buy them all at once. If there's an order of operations, though, it'd be Kopaka -> Tahu -> Onua -> Gali -> Lewa -> Pohatu. I'm liking Kopaka's new look the most, and how solidly throwback his mask is.

That's really cool! The early 2009 lineup was a really solid one, and I rather like Tarix. Thanks for that! The rest of the stuff is quite cool. It always pleases and surprises me to see how much affection for BIONICLE the people within the company had. And presumably still have, since they're bringing it back.

Pretty nice. It reminds me of the Voyatoran design, with a bit more to it. Probably a bit taller. Suits it, that. Your colour scheme is pretty good, though I wonder if you couldn't find a better colour for the upper arm than metru gray. Has there not been a white option for the shorter double-joiner (or whatever you'd call it)?

As has been said, your choice of mask is as good as any other -- I personally imagine that the noble avohkii looks like the avohkii of the film, before Takua wore it; the mask that lacked frills on either side and less swoopy on top. As in my avatar.

Thanks for the info, guys. I sure do hope I'll still be able to make use of the vahi in MOCs with the new BIONICLEs a-comin'. That's one of the reasons I wanna get a gold one. Orange doesn't go with a lot of other colours, but gold can go with just about any of them.

If you want a gold Vahi, then I believe that BZP member huh has a few spares; I've just bought one off him myself. And by the way, do you happen to have any multiples of the Toa Mata Nui Ignika? I'm actually trying to get a full Legendary Kanohi collection as well.

I'll give him a PM, thanks! I have duplicate Toa Pohatu, Lewa, Kopaka, Gali, Tahu, Onua, Makuta Antroz, Vamprah, Chirox (two duplicates, apparently), upon inspection. No extra Ignika. Sorry, man.

Is that the one that comes with the special Vahki? I think I have one.

Yeah. My research says it came with special vahki canisters, as well as in an "Ultimate Creatures Accessory Set" tub. I could buy one of those on ebay for $200, which gives two of them, two discs of time, and a whole bunch of old parts that I'm not sure I could find use for. So far, I'm hoping to get a better deal than that, with the kind folks here. If you're interested in selling yours, please lemme know!

With BIONICLE coming back and the Mask of Creation in the fore, I'm looking back at my collection of legendary kanohi. And I notice that while I have, like, all the variations of the Ignika, I have not even one Vahi. And that seems just wrong. I've got an orange vahi on the way, but I want me that gold one. I want it bad.

I'm willing to negotiate on price. I can offer money, and I suppose I can offer pieces as well, but I really don't have anything rare to trade; just a decent amount of duplicate parts.

Side Question: Just so I know what I'm getting into precisely. Does the gold vahi have a plus-rod connector (having been made in 2005), or does it have the circle-connector that 2001-2002 masks had?

Takanuva. Seeing him and Jaller work together again would be sweet. I also think that it makes sense to happen -- that if trouble abounds and the Toa of Metru-Nui are needed, Takanuva will be right alongside the Mahri, ready to help. 

As for the water stuff, meh. So what if they're amphibious and he's not? Nuparu could make him some kind of breather, or he could get a kaukau.

Either 2006 or 2008, for me, though I voted 2006.

2006 brought the Toa Nuva back, after two long years of flashback (and I don't enjoy flashbacks)... only to get their butts kicked, but still. I enjoyed it. The narrative was interesting. I liked the villains and the heroes.

2008 was great as a final conflict. If 2006 was great for heroes and villains, this was like... the Superbowl of Heroes and Villains. The most powerful toa in history (Nuva, suped up with adaptive armor) fighting some of the most powerful foes in history -- the Makuta (slightly handicapped, some, but that was hardly a concern). It was a great conflict, with the highest of stakes.

I won't say that they're the best (far from it), but I'm sure that the simplicity of their design helps them stick to peoples' brains. And yeah, nostalgia. Nostalgia likely drives a lot of the appeal in them, these days.

If given more options, I would have said Garan. I rather liked seeing the matoran band together and take on six skakdi, and do a fine job of it (given the massive disparity in physical ability). And I sympathized with its leader, who always read as a rational, cautious, wise leader.

But within the scope of "favourite Toa Inika" and "favourite Piraka," I'll say Jaller and Zaktan. I like Jaller for superficial reasons. I found the concept of the Inika cool, that they had lightning-infused elemental powers. And lightning fire seemed particularly cool. Plus his mask seemed to basically be the Force, so the sword-wielding Jaller Inika is basically a Jedi in my mind.

I like Zaktan because I imagined him to be a more meaningful character in the plot, and a more interesting one. I like villains that have to work about as hard as the heroes, and Zaktan arguably worked harder than any of the toa that stood in his way. His position wasn't one I agree with, but it's one that makes sense to me -- whereas Teridax is something of an abstract mythological villain, Zaktan is a practical, grounded villain.

I will buy much sets, sir.

I have to agree that the Suletu is probably my least favourite mask by appearance. I look forward to one day seeing a version of it that isn't an inika's living-thing mask.

I went back through the 2001 to 2003 comics earlier today, and I find that I rather liked the core idea of the 2001 narrative -- the collection of power. And it was cool to feel like those collectibles had a qualitative difference in play. Like, finding the black hau in a box meant that Onua could now use the power of shielding in battle! I found that cool. Even the kanoka discs were cool for that.

I could totally see those back again. Random packs or no.