That Matoran with a Vahi

I have to say, I think I like this design better than the official 2003 Pewku; it looks more complete, more together than she did. The orange parts make a really effective armour shell, and the use of the ball pin for eyes is very inspired! (I also really like the colour scheme; but that's a given, orange and black together is always my favourite combination xD) Just curious, can a Matoran sit on its back to ride? ^^

Oh wow, that's a really neat idea for the build; I love how you've made the system shapes feel so much like they belong in the Bionicle universe, she wouldn't look at all out of place if she stepped straight out of the official comics! The custom mask is a really nice tough, too; the shape complements the rest of your design. All around very nice work

Oh wow, this is incredible. I can see so many recognisable Bionicle parts on the surface, but I can't imagine how you attached them all together beneath the surface, so that they make such a single, solid overall form; the effect is astounding, though! Really great work ^^

Rock Raiders, absolutely. I don't really think any of the TT-era games need much in the way of remakes, but the older games from before that era? I would absolutely go for some of those. Rock Raiders, as mentioned, for sure; particularly if it could fix up the bugs and add more overall developed story to the missions and the world in general. A touching up of some of the mechanics would be much appreciated, too. And not have the rock raiders do that thing where you send them to the opposite end of a big map for an energy crystal, they get there... and then decide they're hungry and run *RIGHT BACK TO BASE* to get a sandwich, without picking up the energy crystal they were sent to get! Additionally? I'd be interested in remakes of, really, any of the games from that era. Racers 1 & 2, Alpha Team, Lego Chess, Lego Island... and yeah, Bionicle: the Game could certainly benefit from a huge chunk of modernisation and story expansion, with longer levels to boot. And I didn't think of it until it was mentioned above, but an update of MNOG would be incredible. Can you imagine it with the game mostly the same, but built as a genuine open 3D world? I wouldn't say no to additional story content focusing on our favourite Matoran, too xD

I can't easily imagine a serious Bionicle musical; on the other hand, have you ever heard of the A Very Potter Musical series? It retells the Harry Potter stories as a musical comedy, taking liberties with the canon all over the place - it mixes and matches events from four different books into a single story year for just the first musical - and pulls it off quite hilariously without ever needing to go hugely over-the-top with props and budget. Something like that, that's what I'd want from a Bionicle musical. Though we would at least need some kind of custom-sculpted masks for the actors, in Bionicle's case... which creates a major problem because all their dialogue would be muffled by said masks and would make it impossible for them to convey facial expression to the audience. I guess holes for mouths, like the MoL-style masks, would be the best workaround there? Following AVPM's style of abbreviated plot... it would probably start with the Toa's arrival, but compress all of 01-03 into a much shorter time span. I almost don't think the Metru Nui arcs need be included at all; but maybe one of the Turaga tags along with the Toa team, constantly initiating musical flashback anecdotes of his or her previous life as a Toa, that give adequate backstory without going into huge detail? Then the Ignition Saga would be notably compressed, too... perhaps (to save on a couple of extra sets) the Piraka actually arrive on Mata Nui, Mask of Life already in hand, in a big song-and-dance number, dramatically kicking the Toa Nuva out of the way... only for Jaller and co. to thwart them while they're not looking and run off with the Ignika, which Matoro dons in a dramatic, heartfelt solo number. A Very Potter Senior Year's opening song This is the End is absolutely perfect for 2008 - I actually considered briefly running a multi-animator project based on that, but don't think I'd get enough takers to make it worthwhile - which would be a montage scene alternating between the Toa vs. Makuta in Karda Nui on one side of the stage and the OoMN preparing for the final war on the other. Then, naturally, Makuta would get an epic villain song when his Plan succeeds, which ends with a lone verse from Mata Nui as the Ignika spirals away in to the darkness offstage, and... I honestly don't know what I'd do with 2009. It feels too... it introduces too many new characters too near the end for it to work properly as part of a single show. Maybe just a single, short scene or two where Mata Nui meets Ackar, Kiina and Gresh, and ropes them in (in song, of course) to helping him to rebuild the giant robot to challenge Makuta. Then the second-to-last scene would be the giant robot clash... either clear the stage of all normal-sized characters and have the Makuta and Mata Nui actors don giant robot costumes; or else focus on the normal-sized characters and represent the battle with special effects instead of actually onstage. And the final scene, of course, an ultimate victory finale song where all the main characters link arms to sing about their new life on Bara Magna. Dang. Now I really want to make this a reality now xDDD

Oh, nice! I'll have to remember to give these a watch sometime soon

I officially love this! For two major reasons. The first is that I simply never considered exactly what the side-effects of being in the spheres for so long would have been; but the way you're unpacking that, and the Turaga's thoughts and reactions around it, is fascinating, and I'm eager to see where you take it. It's neat to see the Turaga struggling to find their feet for the first time, something that canon completely skipped over; and plus, it's always a treat to get to see my old favourites of the MNOG Matoran again The second is that your humour here is AMAZING. The last line of chapter one felt so absolutely on-point for the character's brand of mischief; the Hafu-Taipu mixup was spectacular; and the explanation behind Orkahm's changed name works perfectly. Definitely eager to see more ^^

I was trying to work out what a couple of the parts on the sea floor were until it abruptly hit me: Galidor pieces! That is such an amazingly inventive use for them; though that said, the whole model is spectacular! The level of detail in the background and base, combined with the smooth elegance of the siren's form; and I love how you built her flowing hair, in particular. Really nice work!

Oh right, good point! I've been following one of those work-in-progress fan servers - the Darkflame Lego Universe one - but I didn't even consider that it might still need the disk to run. That's definitely a good reason to keep it around, at least until I know for sure one way or the other. Thanks!

I was in that same boat, truthfully. For me, Bionicle's story had ended with a satisfying *BANG* at the end of 2008; I had then thoroughly failed to get into the Bara Magna years, and my interests had drifted elsewhere... so in a sense I'd really already made peace with the fact that it was 'over', at least from my personal perspective. In light of that, then, the fact of its end being made official a couple of years later didn't rock me at all; it was surprising, but it truly didn't hit me with any impact. As for G2, well. I kinda ...missed it completely. Not the ending, literally the whole generation. I saw that G2 was going to happen, a little after the announcement in 2014; but then I just... I had other things going on, and I genuinely forgot all about it. I didn't even remember to keep up here on BZ, until the day I eventually checked in again to find that it was already over. That was certainly a bit more jarring, since I hadn't expected to skip the entire generation by accident; but because of the fact that I inadvertently had done so, I had no personal connection to G2 to feel anything about its cancellation.

Kind of a weird question, but. I've been sorting out all my stuff, in preparation for eventually moving out, and I came upon something that I have a question about: the installation disk for the Lego Universe MMO. Now, I know the MMO got taken offline several years ago now. I regrettably never got much play-time on the game; it was released right as I was starting university, so I had plenty of other things on my mind, and when I tried it just didn't hook me so I forgot to come back to it... I only heard in later years that it had been shut down because (I believe?) it was too much work for the team of moderators to monitor everything players built, to make sure nothing inappropriate was on show. But I digress. Since the game itself is defunct, as far as I'm aware, is there any actual point in keeping hold of the disk for it? Is there any content on the disk that can still be accessed, even without the game itself being active? Is it collectable to some extent, given that the game had a pretty short lifespan? Mostly, I just want to know if there's a good reason for me to do anything else with the disk, rather than just throwing it out as useless xD

Oh WOW these are incredible. I love the sheer amount of personality you've squeezed into each design; I think Kongu's my favourite out of them, all the callbacks to his Matoran design represent so well what I've often felt the Inika should have looked more like. The way the official Inika bore no resemblance to their Matoran selves never quite sat right with me; and I love how you've countered that issue on such an epic scale here. The Piraka, too... I really like how you've taken their individual head designs and built off them in such different ways for each. I think my absolute favourite thing is the different methods you've used for each of their teeth; using an approach other than the standard Piraka skull increases their distinctness even more. I really liked reading the quotes and descriptions you picked for them in the Flickr descriptions, too; it drove home amazingly how true-to-character each of these feel, Toa and Piraka both! Really great work Also, might be a minor thing, but I love the individual base pieces you've built for each of them, too; not only do they look super-effective, they ground the characters in the world ever so well too ^^

Oh WOW THIS IS SO NEAT! I have to confess that I'm no music expert; but actually watching such familiar, nostalgic music being played for real is an amazing experience. Thanks so much for sharing these

Oh wow, they look great! I love how, even with a different take on their designs, they're all instantly recognisable and full of personality; your use of posing, in particular, conveys their individual personalities so well. It takes me right back to Bionicle's early years, to meeting these characters for the first time! Really like what you've done with their designs, too; the way they're very new, but still hold callbacks to the original Matoran builds; I'm especially fond of the way you've given each of them a classic-style disk throwing arm. I look forward to seeing them in action when you come to animate them ^^

IC: Tarutu - Black Spike Mountains "Oh right, gotcha." It made sense, at least to her, as the Skrall leader explained. There were only so many ways to find people who didn't want to be found; and tracking down the pipes they were using was definitely one of their best chances. The fact that this Fe remnant, if that was truly what they were, would hear them coming from a mile away with this method was... unfortunate, but there wasn't really much of a way around that. If they were underground, there were no quieter shortcuts to simply drilling them out. Still, even though it wasn't her area at all - and even if it didn't directly contribute to making this trip profitable for her - the Ga-girl wasn't content to simply sit back and watch. "Anything I can do to help? I'm no mountain-climber or demolitionist, but I do know how to find things." @Nato the Traveler IC: Littiuu - Tesara, Coffee Shop "Oh no, no, I completely get that. I feel the same way." Again, seriousness had settled onto her features, though Littiuu tried not to let it weigh her down. The whole world was serious, and while she knew that was important... it didn't mean everything had to be doom, gloom and misery for everyone, all the time. Her place, Littiuu had long ago realised, was to keep morale high as much as it was to protect others from harm; and at best, she could do both at the same time. "Tesara's my home, too. Not as long as it's been yours, I guess; but I don't want anyone to take potshots at it either." She collected her thoughts for a moment, her expression behind the orange Rau seeming unsure of quite what she wanted it to convey, wavering between intensity and levity. Even in spite of that, however, her bright-eyed gaze deliberately held his own. "I know I'm not with the guard; but I promise I'd defend this town to my last breath. I like cheering people up; but please don't mistake that for an unwillingness to fight." @Dane-gerous IC: Kastir - The Arena Ah. More likely. Neither astronomy and cosmology had ever been subjects to which the giant woman had paid much mind. Back in the Old Universe, it later turned out that the only sky that could be seen was still part of the interior of Mata Nui's knees; and since arriving on Spherus it seemed like most of the interesting things to be seen in space had already happened, with the would-be reformation, so there was little point to gazing skyward and trying to work out what came from where. Kastir's mind was, and always had been, firmly on more practical matters such as getting work, providing for herself... and, when it didn't conflict with the first, standing up for the little guy. Practical, physical things. As such, it simply would never have even occurred to her that the third symbol might represent the former Bota Magna; but at the same time, it made sense - far more sense to her, at any rate, than the idea of the symbol representing a star. Even if Bacchus toyed with that thought himself, it just struck the giantess as illogical; no-one could come from a star. "I think you're right. Unfortunately..." She cas a glance around at everyone present, most of whom she either recognised the species of, or could at least place as the far more bio-mechanical inhabitants of the Old Universe. "I don't think we've got any Bota Magna natives here to test your theory. Unless you want me to go and grab one and drag them here." Between her large size, and her teleportation powers, it wasn't an exaggeration to say she meant that quite literally. @Ironfist and co. ((ooc: Also @Smudge8, no rush, but Alarei's waiting on Rakin's reply a couple of pages back ^^))

Towards the end of last year, I bought Toa Nokama and Toa Whenua used - not only complete, but with Tehutti and Vhisola jammed into their cannisters as well! - from a charity shop for really cheap ^^ I'd used to own them all back in the day, of course, but several years back I sold off maybe 80% of my Bionicle collection. And it was not more than a few days before that, I'd been low-key regretting not having any Toa Metru in my collection anymore; so it was quite amazing timing to stumble upon them both

It's only a single set; but I can offer you Glatorian Mata Nui, if he's one of the ones you're looking for. He's very good condition: only built once, a couple of years back, and been on display since then. Let me know if you're interested ^^ (Though I should note, I'm in the UK; so depending on where in the world you are, international shipping costs may be a thing.)

I don't know if you're still looking for the promo mini CDs (these are the ones that came free with certain sets, right?); but I just discovered that I still have a bunch of the English ones around and remembered I'd seen you asking. So if they're of any use to you, you'd be welcome to them ^^ I've got: Toa Mata Nuhvok-Kal Lehvak-Kal Gahlok-Kal Kohrak-Kal Panrahk Lerahk (I think; though the CD decal shows Kurahk's staff, I know it's not his CD) Toa Metru Onewa Toa Metru Vakama Toa Metru Nuju Toa Metru Nokama Toa Metru Matau Three of them aren't perfect condition; the first ones I got as a kid (N-Kal, L-Kal and Panrahk), I wrote on the front of the disk which character they were for; however I used a CD-safe pen, so the content isn't damaged in any way. The others are all pretty much new condition, having only been played once each. Let me know if any of them are any use to you ^^

Oh, well then! I still haven't played through all the free Lego Batman ones I got the last time you guys reported on something like this, and I also haven't seen the movie it's based on... but free Lego games are honestly not to be missed! Definitely gonna give this one a try; thanks for letting us know

I can think of a few things, from my perspective: Childhood nostalgia. The big one, of course; but I feel like, even taking out the giant rose-coloured lenses, there are merits to it beyond that. World-building. This was when the idea of Matoran having actual individual cultures and ways of life was at its peak, and it was certainly one of the biggest draws to the story, in hindsight: compared, in particular, to 2006 and onwards, where each location just had one generic Matoran village with no real cultural distinctness from any of the others, and a geography that never felt fully open to exploration to the degrees that MNOG allowed. Plus, as much as it fits the Patchwork Map trope to a T, the way Mata Nui was laid out with the various elemental regions made it the most fascinating world to explore, when you could go from inside a volcano to lush jungle to freezing mountaintop in a matter of minutes, with each feeling like the location had more going on than just what you saw. The atmosphere of mystery, the 'there's something more going on beneath the surface here' feeling. I don't know that any of us back there suspected GIANT ROBOT was the thing literally beneath the surface, but there was such a sense of this just being the tip of a much bigger story: we were given just enough to tantalise the imagination, without telling us so much that it destroyed that feeling. For me, at least, that's quite the addictive feeling; part of why I'd return to '01-based stories so easily is the expectation that they could almost take that start point, that mystery, and run with it in a different direction this time, and tell a whole new kind of story: 2001 just has that feeling to me that, implausible as it is, stories based around it could well do just that. The characterisation... mostly as supplied by MNOG, where it focused on the little matoran nobodies as much more relatable than the big powerful Toa. Cool as the Toa are, the Takua and Macku and co. are permanently established as my favourites due to that early focus on them. Add to that the fact that it was fresh and new and different; it couldn't be pointed at as a rehash of itself, as subsequent years were sometimes accused, because there had been nothing before to compare it to. No-one had had the chance to get tired of it yet, the way they sometimes did in later years, because it was the freshest thing on the block from Lego: and I suspect that's the reason that, for a lot of people, 2001 is the 'face' of Bionicle, because it captures that sense of fresh and new and mystical in a way that subsequent years didn't always manage to. I know that's a big part of it for me, at any rate. But those are just my thoughts! And I kinda rambled all over the place with them, so... Make of them what you will, I guess ^^

Um... WOW I fell out of this and totally lost the plot, didn't I? I'm really sorry; I've just been busy with other things (not Bionicle-related, but a comic I'm working on, mostly), and kept putting off checking in here until, um... I am way, WAY behind now xD;; I've looked over the game summary for the last couple of weeks, so I might just skip ahead to the present, IC time, and see if I can stay on top of things better now. Has anything significant involved my characters while I've been preoccupied, though?

I just want to say that I really, really like this ^^ After the days of MNOG, canon so often deprived the Matoran of any individual focus, or responses to the things that happened, that it's a truly refreshing change to see some of them having their own negative reactions and independent streaks. The idea of them being so hurt by the Turaga's hiding of their history is a really fascinating idea, and the way you've explored that here is very well achieved; I particularly like the ending, with so many of them staying behind to form their own village in the world they love And the hints of what is to come, and how they will ultimately survive canon, are very well placed too ^^

I reacted to these over on Brickset, so I'm just gonna copy and paste:

IC: Varxii - Outskirts of Metru-Koro "I... suppose." And that certainly didn't describe her, Varxii well knew. She was quick and fighty and reckless and... dare she think it? Perhaps even arrogant. Not slow, not careful, not deliberating. The two of them could hardly have been more different. And yet still. Here they stood, making conversation that... felt both eerily ominous, and almost like small talk, of all things. What was this being? Varxii wondered for a moment if it was predicting her own future. In a way, it probably was... though in a more general sense than specifically singling her own. The young Toa gave a small shrug, wondering what she should do with this information. Death didn't necessarily scare her, it was pretty much inevitable for a Toa ultimately, but at the same time... she was still struggling to re-evaluate her world view after everything she'd lived through recently. She wasn't sure whether the veiled warning troubled her or not. She just... Didn't know anymore, really. The sighed response to her next question, however, drew Varxii from these thoughts. If she'd thought she was getting used to cryptic answers, she was fully proven wrong by this response. Were they... talking at cross-purposes again? Or did her companion's name really get away from them when they tried to look for it? "But you must have something you want people to call you? A nickname, a title, anything?" She almost paused, then added after a moment's deliberation. "For example... I'm Varxii." @Eyru IC: Rek - Outside Sans' Home It wasn't hard to find which hut belonged to the Turaga. The little brown matoran who hadn't got out of her way quick enough, the one with the silver-coloured permanent-grin mask (not that Rek was one to talk on that count), had been real cooperative in pointing her towards one dome in particular... Rek hadn't even threatened her to get a very panicked answer of that one slightly bigger and slightly more ornamented hut as the one the Turaga called home. Must be the reputation of her kind here, scaring the little thing senseless, so she shrugged and continued on her way without making any attempt to traumatise the Matoran any further. The Turaga in question seemed to already have a visitor, a fact that Rek would usually care about not in the slightest. Even now, it didn't deter her from stepping straight into the hut; 1.3 bio of distinctive orange-and-white armour, toothy maw, and weapons. Folding her arms, she leaned against the door frame in as casual a pose as you please. Not exactly looking non-threatening - by her very nature, it was hard to do that - but at least not being directly hostile. "Yeah, don't mind me. Just got a proposition for Turaga here, once you're done." (ooc: Hi, tiny Jabali cameo! Also, @Azibo, Rek seeks Sans' attention ^^)

Just for the record, if anyone in Metru-Koro is looking for interactions, Rek's sort of... passing through there. She doesn't mean harm to anyone yet; but as a Wasteland Skakdi she's likely to draw some unfriendly attention, and I'm up for wherever that leads ^^ If not, I'll just have her arrive at Sans' hut with her 'offer' in a page or so's time; but I wanted to put out that the opportunity was there if anyone wants to take it (Her post is near the top of page 33 ^^)