Torchflare1234

I must agree with Zahaku, any unexplained absence should be dealt with probation. However, I feel that this being Tarth's second violation, a stronger sentence should be put into effect. I would also like to take the time to note that my time on the internet has been restricted as of late, though I will attempt to be on at least once a week.

I have no one to nominate at this time.

"AYE" to Article 211. "AYE" to Article 212. "AYE" to Article 213. "AYE" to Article 214. "AYE" to Article 216. "AYE" to Article 217.

"AYE" to Article 190a. "AYE" to Article 195a. But I am curious, does the substance revert back to its original state of matter once the mask power has been turned off? "AYE" to Article 218. "AYE" to Article 219. "AYE" to Article 220. "AYE" to Article 221. Unlike a Calix, which allows the wearer to move at top physical performance, this increases the wearer's fighting ability. "AYE" to Article 222.

"AYE" to Article 164a. "AYE" to Article 184a. "AYE" to Article 204. "AYE" to Article 205. "AYE" to Article 206. "AYE" to Article 207. "AYE" to Article 208. "AYE" to Article 209. Though I do have some questions. See below. "AYE" to Article 210. About Article 209: To Chocolvr- We've seen multiple Rahi described on such a large scale, namely the prehistoric Rahi that were studied by Mavrah, Whenua, and Onepu. Also, the Rahi Nui was capable growing to that height or larger. To Ausar- I believe that it is the nature of the viruses and/or the energies used in the making of the Corps Stones that causes the more bestial effects in the Corps Niveau Deux and Trois. What I'm curious about is the power levels and the after-effects of the Stones on the user. The purity of the protodermis used to make Kanoka discs determines the disc's power level. Do the Corps Stones work in a similiar way, the greater the concentration of viruses/energies, the higher power level? Are the Corps Stones somehow addictive to the users? Do the higher level Stones leave the user's mind in the more Rahi-like state after the Stones' energy ran out? If it even does, the Article is not very clear about the power duration of the Stones that are in existance. It only tells how long the Stones' power duration were originally designed.

The way you describe it makes it sound more like a variation of the Mask of Possibilities and if that's the case, my vote will be NAY. Not really. The mask power allows the user to create a duplicate of another person. A simulation would be a false duplicate, more like a hologram or an illusion. By the article's wording, I would assume the duplicate would have the same powers and abilities as the original. Cloning is a far more accurate term. It doesn't seem to be too powerful to me. It can't affect organic systems, nor can it affect things that are not within sight or that the user is not in physical contact with. Now, while using Earth logic, its power would just superheat it until it changed state, but this isn't Earth, to tell the truth, and it can force the molecules of an object to go through some other process in order to change the state. But, to tell the truth, I'm mainly writing a science fiction/fantasy story, and I don't exactly go into detail of how the process the Yyter uses works, simply that it does. So, the chains in the example would simply become a liquid or a gas, without the reprecussions of the user getting burned.

I should have been more specific. Where did he get Kanoha with the power to create Dimensional Gates? I would assume that because there are/were only two Olmaks in existance, both of which were created by Artakha, the power of Dimensional Gates must be extremely difficult to create.

AYE to Article 196: If a Noble or powerless Kanohi was embued with Gether Shards, would they become amplified? Or is the amplification limited to Great masks? AYE to Article 197. AYE to Article 198. AYE to Article 199: I've been wanting to use something like this, but this is far better than my idea. AYE to Article 200: I suppose it's possible that the Shadowed One's disintegration eye beams don't work properly on EP, like with Zaktan. AYE to Article 201:Not saying it's a bad idea, but why not just use trained Rahi? AYE to Article 202:Where did Tridax get the Kanoha? AYE to Article 203: I don't see the need to make the game illegal though. The risk alone should be enough to keep most from playing. However, it would be a less costly way for warring factions to settle disputes.

My thoughts exactly. The theory is that a Telekinetic could reshape an object by moving the object's individual molecules, but that would require immense control and concentration. I must admit that Kanohi powers don't have to be noble or rightous, but I would like them to be able to be resisted or limited in some way. And I do agree with you about inanimate objects lacking will. I don't think a mask power should have such broad effects based on a philisophical view point, some ideas are just too abstract to be a sound mask power. And my vote as been changed accordingly. I'm more curious if it merely changes the viscosity of the substance to that of a different state of matter without changing the substance's temperature or if it actually heats or cools the substance to change it. I'm hoping for the first.

I have changed my vote on Article 178 from "NAY" to "AYE."

NAY to Article 184: Is this supposed to be like a genie-type wish granting power? It'll grant you whatever you say you want, exactly how you say it, whether you like it or not, despite the consequences. For example, a Toa uses it to stop Rahi stampeding through a village, but the mask brings down the cliff walls that surrounded the village, burying both the Rahi and the village in a rockslide. But the Rahi did stop stampeding. I'd be in support of it if it was like that, with or without a use limit. AYE to Article 185: If I understand this correctly, the Eniden user would need to be someone highly skilled in deduction, reasoning, and interegation in order to take full advantage of the mask power. A Sherlock Holmes of the BIONICLE universe. NAY to Article 186: If one really got down to the basics, the powers of the Marat is no different from Mind Control or Telekinesis. However, I dislike how it is supposed to work, altering someone's free will is not something I can support. And for the record, the Mask of Creation and the Marat are completey different. AYE to Article 187: Leaning towards AYE. Change the name to Replication, Cloning sounds like it can create copies of living beings. NAY on Article 188: I still like the power, do you think it would make sense to have the "vezon" be capable of independent thought, while completely subservient to the Quarar user's will? Leaning towards AYE. Change the name to Cloning, Imitation makes it sound like the user can Shape-Shift into a vezon. NAY to Article 189: There already is a Canon Mask capable of the same thing. Now, if you're wanting to say the name for the Mask of Adaptation is Rakha, I could go for that. AYE to Article 190: If I may make a suggestion though, have it be so the only forces reflected are forces the user is aware of, instead of trying to give it a power limit. Not that anyone's going to live through a full Nova Blast anyway. NAY to Article 191: It's not that I'm against the power, I'm against the understanding of the power. The metals like sodium and calcium can explode when exposed to water, but the metals like iron just rust. If you're wanting explosives, try for a Mask of Transmutation. AYE to Article 192: A little impractical, but whatever works. AYE to Article 193: Seems useful. NAY to Article 194: I'd like some more specifics about what it can negate before I decide. AYE to Article 195: Though I would like to point out that plasma as a state of matter is a substance hot enough to be a gas or liquid, but under enough pressure to keep it from doing so. Like the Earth's core. I'm not sure how useful that would be to the Yyter user. And could someone please tell how it's over powered? I mean, the user has to be touching his or her target in order for the mask power to be effective. Any more limitations and the mask would be nearly powerless.

NAY to Article 177: I consider this to be an unneccesary course of action. Might it be possible that some Toa had merely avoided the census? AYE to Article 178: Karzahni had no knowledge of Makuta, Mata Nui, or even Toa before Jaller and his team arrived there. Not to mention the Brotherhood only suspected the existence of a third faction, they were not sure. AYE to Article 179: While I see no reason to oppose it, I am curious as to why it's being proposed. AYE to Article 180: Seeing as how it is an alternate universe, I see little reason to oppose it. AYE to Article 181: As this supports Article 180, it too shall have my support. AYE to Article 182: No reason to oppose. AYE to Article 183: It's good to see a name to Lariska's species. Since there does seem to be a concern about the 57 Toa "limit," perhaps we should create our own Toa census?

Article 169: UNDECIDED, the ability to remove or create life with a thought sounds too powerful for a Great Mask. Course, I suppose you could kill through the geographic changes. Article 170: AYE, I'm little iffy about it, but it sounds cool and plausible. Article 171: AYE, no reason to oppose. Article 172: AYE, an interesting power for sure. Article 173: AYE, although it might be more effective if it was capable of creating the necessary components out of raw materials. Article 174: AYE, most certainly a unique power and would definitely require teamwork. Article 175: AYE, though the ability to store life energy has me a little iffy. Article 176: AYE, I like it. Tohunga Tahnok: A Kaita is the willed physical and psychic merge of two or more beings by embracing their unity and working together. The Duos Stones force their users into a Fusion, like the Mask of Fusion or the Spear of Fusion.

Article 112a: A reluctant AYE. Article 147a: AYE, I'm sticking with my original vote on this, I like the idea of Nix's death being metaphorical. Article 164: A second reluctant AYE. Article 165: A third reluctant AYE. Article 166: AYE, glad to have you aboard! Article 167: UNDECIDED, leaning towards NAY. Is it truly neccesary to have another mind-based Element? Article 168: AYE, I see no reason to oppose.

In truth, I would prefer not to see anyone leave. I place a lot of value in the opinions of others and I feel that losing that opinion would be counter to the C.I.R.C.L.E.'s purpose. But, if a member chooses not to express his opinions then he may, at his disgression, leave. Seeing as how Zee has commented here and explained his absence, I feel that he, along with Erebus, should be excused for their actions or lack there of. However, I would like to hear more from Rhas before his judgement is passed.

"AYE" to Article 8b. No reason to oppose. "AYE" to Article 123a. Again, no reason to oppose. "UNDECIDED" on Article 153. I don't feel as though "white noise" should be the limit to the mask's sonic power. "AYE" to Article 154. No reason to oppose. "AYE" to Article 155. The Kraata power of infection in a mask. Brilliant. "AYE" to Article 156. Kind of like what Teridax did to the Toa Hagah, right? "AYE" to Article 157. I may have to find some way to use this one. "AYE" on Article 158. The power would certainly add a new twist to things. "AYE" to Article 159. My spidey senes are tingling! "AYE" to Article 160. No reason to oppose. "AYE" to Article 161. Again, no reason to oppose. "AYE" to Article 162. Once again, no reason to oppose. "AYE, Option B" to Article 162. It simply sounds better.

"AYE" to Article 5d. "AYE" to Article 100a. He has remained active and should have his suspension removed. "AYE" to Article 140a. With no mention of an interdimensional war, I see no reason to oppose. "AYE" to Article 144. Welcome to the C.I.R.C.L.E.! "AYE" to Article 145. I'm sure you both will be a great addition to our group. "AYE" to Article 146. I see no reason to oppose. "AYE" to Article 147. One might say that Nix truly did die in the fight against the Zyglak, only to be replaced by a shell filled with hatred. "AYE" to Article 148. You are correct, Zahaku. Ethanum is very much like alcohol. Its name is actually based off of drinking alcohol's scientific name: Ethanol. "UNDECIDED" on Article 149. While I see no reason to oppose the Article, I see no reason to support it either, other than as an alternative way to give powers to beings who lack the mental disipline to use Kanohi. "AYE" to Article 150. A good explanation to how Matoran can craft masks without purifying liquid protodermis. "AYE" to Article 151. I was wanting a means of communication that is better and faster than trained Rahi. "AYE" to Article 152. How else are De-Matoran going to interact with others?

I'd say that we give Erebus one more week to explain his absence before any judgement gets passed. I have my beliefs that he has lost his internet access without any forewarning and has yet to find another alternative. However, there are many places (libraries, schools, even some restaurants) that provide internet access at little or no cost that I am certain he could find.

I'm quite certain bonesiii has been open to name suggestions instead of "Vulture" for a long time. If you could find a better word that suited your tastes and accurately summarized the mask power, I'm sure bones would be happy to consider it. I, myself, didn't like the name "Vulture" for the same reason. The problem is; in order to find a better word, you have to change the way the power works. So, unless the power gets rethought, the name remains "Vulture."

To reply to Kahinuva: The Matoran name for mask is Kanohi. The Matoran name for the power of shielding is Hau. Kanohi Hau=Matoran name. Mask of Shielding=English name. The Matoran name for the Mask of Vulture would be whatever the BIONICLE equivilent for a vulture is. There is no argument here, you're just misunderstanding the naming system for powers. Vulture is the closest and simplest English word that describes what the mask does and so when we refer to it by its English name, we call it a Mask of Vulture. If we refered to it by the Matoran name, we would call it the Kanohi [insert Matoran word for vulture]. Does that make sense? To reply to bonesiii: Again, that's my point. Really, if you could do it, you'd go for both. But what we've got now is basically, the Avsa allows you to go for the more common, but harder to get oil that's deep underground (an intelligence is already posessing the energy of the living beings). But now the Mask of Vulture allows you to tap big, easier surface pools of oil, but admittedly ones that are rarer than the underground ones (gathering energy from dying beings that is escaping already on its own, but that nobody was capturing and using previously, and that no other mind is trying to hold onto because the person is dead). I didn’t realize a target’s willpower played a part in whether or not the Avsa’s power worked. I thought once the user chose to drain a target of energy, the target’s only options would be to give up and submit to the mask power or find someway to shut it off. Regardless of which option the target chose, the mask would still drain as long as it was active. That’s the way I see all masks powers as working, as long as the mask is active, so is the power. I’m not against the concept of the Mask of Vulture, stealing from dead things sounds exactly like what vultures do, but where’s the advantage to using it if the only energy you can absorb is from dead things? The Avsa is still far more useful, unless you’re walking through a battlefield after the battle is over, but even then the Vulture would only be useful if the user didn’t expend more energy than he or she gained. And of course, there is a moral issue, but that's already explained. Toa wouldn't use this, but villains and OoMN would -- and so might other questionable mask users. To be honest, a mask is just a mask, it has no morals. (Well, the Ignika does, but that’s only after it gained a body and learned about morals by hanging around other beings.) The morality of a mask is based on who wears it. So, compare that with the Avsa. You don't have to kill with that one to get energy. Correct. But you also don't get the energy of beings who have already died recently -- it just escapes the body on its own and is useless to you. Then use to the Avsa to drain them before you kill them, or just drain them completely and kill them that way. The energy can’t escape if it is not there. Or we could say the Vulture drains energy from the user’s environment and converts it into life energy for the user to absorb. That way it does both. Also, whether you kill them or not, it's easier to get energy from someone who isn't stopping you (due to being dead) than a living target that resists you. Normally, the only type of powers that can be resisted are mental powers. Physical powers like the Avsa or the Felnas can’t be resisted by the target, but the mental based powers like those of the Komau could. On the types of energy that escapes, I don’t see how the Elemental Energy of a Toa would escape after he or she died, since we’ve never heard of a Toa of Fire spontaneously combusting after death or a Toa of Gravity becoming a miniature black hole. On a related note, any Toa Power the Toa didn’t give up before dying would most likely stay in the body, if the amount of concentration the Toa Metru had to use to give up a fraction of their power was any clue. But the con is, if you lose the mask while underwater too deep, you can't breathe. I thought every Kanohi worked this way, if you don’t have the mask to give you the power, then you don’t have the power. If you don’t have the mask to keep you adapted, then you can’t stay adapted. Actually, a question worth asking is, can this mask make you amphibious? Breathing both water and air? I'm not sure. Perhaps if the mask sensed you need to go in and out of the water a lot, it might do that. Or perhaps for your mission if it's important you BOTH stay breathing water for a while, AND be able to come out and breathe air to finish the mission, maybe the mask might let you breathe both. Technically, yes. But making you amphibious would only be good in a swamp/shallows environment. How it adapts you would depend on your environment, remember? The real question to ask is this; could this work like Reidak’s power? Never be beaten twice the same way? The Kraata description would imply this, but I’m not sure. If so, it would be another benefit from the Kaukau -- you would permanently be amphibious in this case. Then what point would it be to have the Kaukau, the Kadin, or the Miru if the Mask of Adaptation can to the same thing they can? By "come back", I hope you mean, body was animated by the mask power. But good question. Would Undeath hold in the body's energies until its own energy ran out? Probably not. Otherwise it would seem more like preventing death rather than animating a dead body. Maybe to a certain extent so it didn't start decayig though... Ooh… preventing death? Sounds like the beginning of a good story to me. Of course, now I want to know if there’s someway a reanimated body via Undeath could switch with the Avsa or the Vulture to absorb life energy to remain animated. Well, now here's another idea I was thinking about with my last reply to you but forgot to mention. What if we compromised and said "if you lost the mask, you would stay in form for a certain amount of time, then change back to your default form"? It would be adding complexity though. And how long? I would NOT be okay with just making it a totally temporary mutation though; it takes away the unique benefit of using this mask as opposed to Kaukau for the most common issue of needing to breathe water. Perhaps, your body immediately, but slowly reverts to its original form after the mask is removed. (i.e. fin or flippers become less pronounced, water breathing becomes harder, etc… as the power wears off.) That I would approve of. And you? On the other hand, what if you needed to breathe poisonous gas to get near a vent of it, to seal the vent -- and lost the mask on the way? As soon as you sealed the vent, you'd start dying if you NEEDED to breathe the poisonous gas to survive now. Buuuuut this gets complex too. You'd have to time when you shut the vent off with when you would change back or you'd suffocate before the timed unmutation kicked in. It wouldn’t be complex at all. If you couldn’t get to fresh air before the gas became toxic to you, you’d die. Quite simple really, but not great for a story. (Well, if you count things like pacemakers as "surgical tools" I suppose you could make the argument, but it would be a pretty weak argument, heh. The scalpel, etc. -- if they get destroyed later, it's irrelevant to the physical changes they made. Those changes remain.) But who did the changing; the surgeons who used the tools or the tools themselves? I would hope the “changes” made by the surgical tools wouldn’t be permanent, you could lose a lot of blood that way. They will if they think it's getting same old same old. Only if the same old same old is costing them more than they’re getting in return. If you read carefully, you'll see that's actually what I'm saying. I do not want to stick to ANY tradition just for tradition's sake. This is a major moral of mine. I don't want any change merely BECAUSE change is tradition, but because I think a change is warranted at this time. Then we are of kindred spirits, you and I. Example, to the charge somebody brought up that so many of these powers are evil powers, and that's a change (and to some, apparently thus bad). I didn't ask Greg to approve a change to how many evil powers we know because change is a tradition. I asked for it because I felt we had not delved into this corner of Bionicle enough yet. But I WILL have no qualms about citing the tradition as backup. As I said above, the morality of mask powers depends on who views it. I see no reason why a power shouldn’t be a Kanohi power just because someone thinks it’s immoral. It’s still a power. True, we don't normally use mutation to mean that in real life, but then remember that mutation means something different in Bionicle -- it refers to the changing of an already living being. Similar to some comic book uses of the word. And the physical changes in the brain are natural; transformation isn't, so mutation also implies that it's a power, which it is. Like Roodaka’s Mutation spinner? Or how the Hordika venom mutates targets to become more bestial? They both still modify vision in some way. True, but not the same way, which is what has people confused. Alright, what about this? Say, you're next to a structure you are touching to age. How you get out of the way before it falls on you? But this could be solved also by perhaps saying it only works in VERY limited range, not actually touch only... ? You have two major options; touch the part that’s falling and rapidly age it before it could harm you, or do the obvious thing and not stand where it’s going to fall. Matoran can build robots, but not Matoran Careful; we don't know (and won't know) how new Matoran are made. We do know Matoran can rebuild Matoran, especially their mechanical parts. As far as I know, Greg hasn't denied that Matoran build other Matoran, has he? If he did, he'd be partly answering the question, which isn't supposed to be answered. *facepalm* I was wrong, Matoran can build new Matoran. It says they can, right there in the BIONICLE Atlas, they just couldn’t be built on Mata Nui. Depends on the power (and the reader). Kaukau didn't cite its limit; it was implied only that it could only go to a certain depth, but we didn't know that for sure until we got the bio of the Kaukau Nuva, which said it could go to deeper depths than the Mata. And yet someone in one of the EM topics in S&T just said they never knew about that limitation to Kaukau. Maybe it would have been better to directly state it. Until the Kanohi Nuva came out, the Great Kaukau didn’t need a limitation. The only limitation it had was the user’s body. If the user dove too deep to the point where the pressure made breathing difficult then the user would eventually suffocate. Looking at the Kaukau page on BS01, I’ve never been a fan of the “for-a-limited-time” limitation. I had always believed the power duration was dependant upon the user’s control and concentration. Well, IMO, the imagination is better honed when we are aware of limitations, and thus are free to imagine ways around them. Agreed. The analogy I made recently is to LEGO bricks and Bionicle pieces. When you MOC, you have real limitations you must deal with. You must use your imagination to work around the limitations, just as much as to come up with the original idea. You must adapt your ideas as you build. This provides a powerful imagination skill that otherwise you are robbed, if nobody has the spine to tell you the bad sides of things. That is only if one accepts the limitations. Many people hated the arm spines of the Piraka and, instead of working around or with them, the people simply cut them off. If they ran out of a certain type of piece, they would get more. If the piece didn’t exist in a color they wanted, then they would paint the piece. People naturally hate boundaries and will actively work to remove them. When you MOC, the only real limitation is you. If I am too macaroni-spined to say "the mask can't do this," for fear of people not wanting to know what they can't do, then they have no idea what to do with the power. Sure, they can imagine their own version of it -- but they can do that anyways! Fan interpretations and fanfics are your sandbox. But when I define the limitations, it gives you a better mental challenge, and encourages you to exercise your brain. Or it confuses the reader like the character stats did/do. When people saw that Nocturn had a strength level of 16 and Hydraxon had a strength level of 13, they couldn’t understand how Hydraxon beat Nocturn. Well, I agree -- that's a limitation. Directly stated. I dunno why the debate needs continue beyond that. As far as what "godmod" is, I'm just telling you what people say; I didn't invent the term. Lol . I agree, but we don’t need to specifically state what the mask can’t do. Let the people work to understand them, make it learning process. The only reason people got/get confused with the powers of the Miru and the Kadin is because they couldn’t understand that Lewa combined his air power with the levitation power of the Miru to achieve flight. Same with the Akaku, the Akaku’s power only lets Kopaka see through things, its built-in scope is what gave him the ability to see farther. Hmm... I did it again. I just convinced myself that my own argument was false. You’re right to keep the limitations, but we shouldn’t put limits in fear of “overpowering” the mask. That was my beef with the “slightly” in the Mask of Aging’s initial description (which, I notice, is gone now ). Lemme throw your argument back at you though, with Adaptation. In the definition, it is made clear, without explaining every reason for it, both that -- and why -- it causes permanent physical changes. And yet, somehow, you "weren't smart enough" to figure out why that makes sense. You had to ask. But if you would have on your own worked to understand the pros and cons of the mask affecting permanent physical change, compared to the pros and cons of the Kaukau for example, then I wouldn't have needed to directly say it. Well, technically, you were trying to introduce a new idea. At the time, I hadn’t realized that, but now I do. And while it makes sense logically, it’s still not an idea I’m fond of. Well, I'm with ya man, but people still don't like it usually. They hear "the power makes you invulnerable", and since it doesn't say there's a weakness, they take it literally. They take the definition's word for it, yanno? That just means they took from it what they wanted to take from it, instead of actually understanding the definition. I’m probably just being cynical though. (I like the Rahkshi power of limited invulnerability; basically a short timed invincibility along the lines of the Mario Cart yellow star upgrade, and turned it into a Paracosmos mask power too.) I’m glad to know I’m not alone.

gain, because it's an untapped power source. That's like asking "If you can get oil from a pocket that's buried deep underground with expensive drills, why bother taking it from that big bubbly pool right next to us with cheaper tools?" If you were an oil company, which would you choose first; The oil that’s going to cost you more time and money to get, or the oil that’s lying right at your feet? And, the Avsa already does that: Then that makes the Mask of Vulture useless as well, cause then you wouldn’t have to kill someone to take their energy. what I'm driving at is, if you "ruined" the armor somehow, would it magically snap back into a standard form, or remain in the damaged version of whatever shape it last shifted to? Dunno. Once the mask was removed or destroyed, the armor would probably shapeshift back into the user’s standard form, but the damage would still be there. Just like the Makuta’s armor. Regardless, this doesn't work for the Adaptation mask, because it doesn't completely cover the wearer -- only the face. For it to work it must mutate the user. If that’s what you prefer. My biggest problem is that you say the user is permanently mutated, until changed back by the mask, but I don’t see why it has to work that way. Why not just say the mask is always on at a low level to keep the user adapted? Other than that, and the fact that the set includes adaptive masks, tools, and wepaons, the article doesn't say. This last quote refers to "when in its default config", confirming there is one, but it doesn't actually say it would snap back to its default when destroyed. Could adaptive armor even be destroyed? Or would it adapt to the attack to prevent destruction? I don't understand the relevance of your reply here to the part you quoted. I talked about staying true to the core concept of Bionicle of innovation, and in this case by introducing metaphor, not about fanfic writers or S&T geeks... Perhaps you copypasted the wrong part? No, I was just pressed for time and was not able to clarify myself properly. Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept of innovation. I embrace it, but how much do we here on BZP really know about innovation or what is different? Different is relative to what it’s being compared to. All the mask powers you’ve described, to me, sound like a lot of the various mask powers created by other members in their attempts to be different. That makes them similar to me. I prefer a concept few people here seem to be able to grasp; balance. An equilibrium. Compromising. Changing while staying the same. Now that’s really being different. That’s BIONICLE. And I fail to see how metaphor isn't simple. "Vulture" clearly conveys the meaning; everybody knows what vultures do. Since vultures eat dead things, how about this; The Mask of Death Eating. (I know, I know, Harry Potter and whatnot) Wait, no, there’s a word for that; Necrophagy. Like Aanchir suggested. As far as the S&T geeks point, again, not sure why you brought it up about that, but like I said, they're the only types who are likely to even see these masks, so moot point. True, but if you're going to be different, why go half way? I like throwing the metaphorical monkey wrench into the works. Take them out of their comfort zones. Give ‘em something that makes them run for cover. Upsets the estabished order. I can, actually, see an argument that Toa energy might not escape. Given that it is able to remain in Toa stones, for example. Elemental energy, I see no reason why it wouldn't, though. Its nature is very flowing, much more so than life energy even. It's used and recharged, just like life energy, and can be absorbed from things around you, again, just like life energy. So, if a Toa wore the Mask of Undeath, died, and came back via the mask power, the body wouldn’t have any EE? That was the Rahkshi name. Mutate and adapt are basically synonyms, though. Again, I don’t see why the mask has to permanently mutate the user in order to adapt. I’d be fine with this mask power if its effect wasn’t permanent. But that isn't what this is doing -- it's not bestowing powers at all. It's changing physical structure. All Kanohi masks grant the user powers when worn. That’s why they’re Masks of Power. Now, now. Always on at low power is a new thing that was never "standard" originally. If that's fair game to be standard even thought it was a change, then so is this. But again, actually there are several masks, like Corruption, that work this way -- they cause a change in something, and then they need not be on, any longer. Change is good. Change because it’s easier than working with what you got is bad. The Mask of Adaptation, as a “standard” Kanohi, would be an always-on-at-low-power mask with temporary effects on the user. I’m not sure why you don’t like it this way. I say the same thing probably applies here. You accept the newer "always on at a low level" exception as okay for standard. Yet, it was brand new at a time. Heck, the originals themselves were new at a time. You've simply gotten used to that. So, give this a few years, have an open mind to it as you did with alwayzonlolevels, and you'll probably realize this is fine. I accepted the always-on-at-low-power, because it made since to me. We don’t need to think about breathing or keeping our hearts beating, though we have limited control over it. Why should the mask power be any different? (Or, you could embrace the innovation tradition of Bionicle, cut to the chase, and allow yourself to enjoy it now. You'll be a happier person for it, and it will improve all aspects of your life, not just Bionicle. That's the Bionicle challenge, and I am more than willing to be the champion of it!) Why change what works? I mean, we’ve been getting the Inika/Piraka type builds for canister sets since 2006. LEGO is not going to change that because “change is tradition.” They’re going to change when it is beneficial to them. I’m the same way, I’ll accept change when it benefits me. So, I'm afraid Bionicle is never going to work for those who want strict adherence to past traditions as their main objective, because Bionicle itself is defined as innovation. Again, change is good. Change only happens when there is something to gain from it. What benefit would we gain from accepting this type of change? Synonyms. You're parsing words. It's named that after the Rahkshi/Kraata power. Not really. My eyes can adjust to see better in the dark, does that mean my eyes mutated? No, my eyes adapted. This is permanent changing of physical structure, specifically to adapt to situations around you, which the mask power senses. But why does it have to be permanent? My eyes can't do that. Yours? Only if I had an Akaku. Granted; but that's the example we're going to use, because it's an official one. Amaru isn't official. But maybe the milk cup example should be used too. The Akaku is still a bad example and any argument someone had about it and the Mask of SA having overlapping powers would be moot. Yes, but have you read Time Trap? He aged them to an incredible extent and just kept it a-comin. Read the part about the Rahkshi army, especially. I felt that that was not justifiable according to the traditions we have seen of the limits of a Great mask. I stand by that. I reread Time Trap not too long ago, actually. He never even had to touch them, which is what I thought would be a good limitation. Can you imagine Voporak having to touch each and every Rahkshi that had attacked him? They might have actually stood a chance. Well, it's a nice idea, but I'd rather ranged attacks, like the structure example, be possible. Maybe we could actually do both though, while I'm talking Either/Or fallacy. Maybe ranged attack is more limited, and touch can be as much as Vopy? Whatthink? You mean, the closer to the user, the faster it ages? Nah, we wouldn’t want to make it too easy for the user. What’s life without a couple of challenges? Because the mechanical parts are more complex (with the ones that are too complex to control) than in a biomechanical being. Matoran can build robots, but not Matoran, and you say robots are the more complex? Besides, complex is like different; relative to what it’s compared to. Most Matoran wouldn’t know about robotic brains, but a Nynrah Ghost, having designed and built several robots, would have no problem understanding the internal clockworks. Um, T, the whole point is that EVERY mask in Bionicle needs built-in limitations. Show me the godmod mask in Bionicle, with no limits or downsides at all. Pull out your 2001 comic with the mask powers insert. What do you see? Limitations. That is the tradition I came to know and love, and that's the tradition Bionicle fans as a whole know. It’s actually funny, cause I never got the 2001 comics. We just don’t need to put limitations in plain sight like we think the reader is somehow inept. All Great masks, by definition, have the limitation of the level of power that a Great power level allows. Noble masks have even stricter limitations. Surely this is not lost on you? Yes, but we don’t need to say, “It does [insert power here], but not as much as [insert name here] can.” Especially for Great masks. Great masks were supposed to be the,”This is as powerful as it’s going to get.” It’s the kind of limitation that’s typically done by BZPers to “sophisticate” a mask power. The mask powers should be clear at what they can do, the “can’t” should be left to the imagination. No one likes being told what they can’t do. Because otherwise you've got a bunch of godmod masks, and besides, that's the rule in Bionicle. People don't tend to like powers that have no possible weakness -- it kinda ruins suspense and stuff. My statement was actually aimed more towards your “biased audience” than at the mask power itself. A godmod mask is not a perfectly good mask. You just assumed it was. A good mask is like the Hau, it can defend against any physical attack the user is aware of. That makes the user vulnerable to mental and surprise attacks without having to tell us that. It means you have to work to understand its pro and cons. If you are one of the rare individuals who isn't like this, more power to you. I actually love godmod powers myself. But I, personally, like limited powers even better, and I know full well I've got a biased audience against those sorts of powers. If I'm suggesting powers to actually be canonized, I cannot impose my very rare like for godmod powers on that, and of course Greg would not accept it anyways, so why would I? What would you define as being a “godmod” power? Invulnerability; being virtually impervious to any physical attack? Which, to anyone with imagination, would realize the user would still be vulnerable to mental assaults. The closest mask power that even comes close to “godmod” is the Mask of Conjuring, which, thankfully, Greg toned down with “must include a weakness. “ Again, that would be fine as a mask power (and as long as it clarified that it couldn't control biomechanical beings against their will, it would be the perfect partner to this mask). It's just not what this one is about. This one is about capturing the very-Bionicle theme of "biomechanics" in a mask power. Oh, okay, still not as cool though.

So, life energy, heat, and any other energies (like elemental, Toa, etc.) are captured. They normally just fade and aren't use for anything, but this mask captures them. A power source that is not usually tapped. (And converts them into life energy for the user.) If the purpose of the mask power is to drain life energy, why from the dead? Because it fits the Vultraz/Vulture theme? Again, they are whatever word choice is best for the power (hopefully ... I mean, what I judged best at the time, anyways, and what Greg and/or story team judged best in all cases). As I've shown, Vulture is the most concise (other than Carrion), the most evocative, fits with the shape, Vultraz, etc. etc. Carrion sounds way cooler than Vulture. What do you say about Kindred, Fate, etc.? But again, you're just appealing to past patterns. I have clearly shown that the only real pattern in past mask naming schemes is that there is no clear pattern. And again, going into new territory is a core concept of Bionicle. But then, you're just appealing to the patterns of S&T buffs and fanfic writers by creating a deeper meaning to something simple. Besides, a vulture is a creature, Kindred and Fate are not. If they're Toa, they have Toa energy. And usually elemental energy. Assuming they haven't exhausted the EE before dying (which is possible in battle), that would be among them. Those examples would be if it's a Toa. If it's something else, might be different, or just the basic life energy that everything shares. Life energy I could understand, but who said that Toa Energy or EE leaves when a Toa dies? Yep -- and nice idea -- very Bionicle. Teamwork and a variety of transformation explanations, and such. You may have intended that as an example of why you don't like it, but it hits me the opposite way, since it's true to Bionicle. Why call this a Mask of Adaptation when it mutates the wearer? The name is inconsistent with the power. Call it a Mask of Mutation or rethink how the power works. Well, I don't think it could give you Pakari-esque strength or enable you to literally be invisible. For that you'd need a mask of Conjuring (specifying weaknesses, of course). I've never heard that the Rahkshi power could do that. You misunderstood. If all Kanohi worked the way you want the Mask of Adaptation to work, if Vakama became invisible using his Huna, then removed it, he would stay invisible until he put the Huna back on. Standard Kanohi powers work in two ways; always on at low power, or consciously controlled by the wearer. Well, maybe you prefer that, but no such rule actually exists in Bionicle. And again, you must be misunderstanding what the mask is doing -- it is mutating you. Mutations usually don't snap back like that. It's like carving a statue -- if the tools used to carve it are destroyed, does the statue magically snap back to its uncarved form? No, of course not. If the mask mutates the user, then it's not a Mask of Adaptation. It's a Mask of Mutation. You've been giving the mask power the improper name. That is what had me confused. Greg approved this, remember. (And he approved the original Rahkshi power, inventing it himself as far as I know.) And there are many transformations that work this way, in fact most do. There are some mask powers Greg thought of on his own that break various traditions of how masks usually work, such as masks that are always on at a low level, etc. Greg approved the Mask of Adaptation, allowing the user to adapt to situations. You said the mask adapts through mutation, but mutate is not synonymous with adapt. X-Ray Vision is quite a lot better than normal vision, even twenty-twenty. Good point though, that the visor is an addon. Or addin, whatnot. No, the Akaku's power lets you see through things. That's it. This is not a difficult concept. It does not enhance vision the same way a Mask of Sensory Aptitude would. It's not because of the Akaku per se. That's just the best example I could think of, and again, Akaku improves vision more than "aptitude" would allow, so that just makes the example really... apt. Would you limit the Mask of Sensory Aptitude if the Akaku didn't exist? Well, that would be another good route, but nobody thought of it. We thought of doing this, because we needed shapes for Multiverse powers. We wanted thirty new powers for the Multiverse, and using existing powers wouldn't serve that (since we started out by saying that all official masks already exist in the EM, plus the BP ones). So, for our purposes in this case, that wouldn't have worked. So, if someone else had thought of doing that and got approval for it first, then I'd be fine with it. But the fact remains that nobody did. Ah... I see. The purpose of this wasn't to give the unnamed Kanohi canon powers, but to give the unnamed Kanohi fan-made powers. Voporak was incredibly powerful. If his powers were, to his full extent, captured in a mask power, it would have to be Legendary. If we did that, we'd get complaints of it being overpowered. Remember his purpose was to hunt down arguably the most dangerous, Legendary power in existence (given it is so much easier to destroy reality with it on accident with Vahi than Ignika). He had to have very powerful abilities to have a chance at that. No, it wouldn't. He could rapidly age anything close to him. That's the extent of his aging power. The mask power should limit it to direct contact. I don't know how someone could say that would be overpowered. Yeah, except those don't work bouncing off of stuff. This is more what basketball players do because it involves bouncing off. And that's called rebounding. True, but it gets the point across better. Would they do that even if they hit? *checks* But yeah, basically. *reaches BS01 page for Exploding Boomerangs* Well, doesn't say. Look at it this way, if they exploded, they wouldn't come back because they would no longer exist as boomerangs. The abilities are unchanged either way, but the idea of Biomechanics is, it enhances the connection between living beings, and mechanics. Hence the bio (plus the Bionicle theme tie-in). In the case of strengthening your own mechanical functions or weakening an enemy's, the meaning is obvious. In the case of influencing robots, it is an extension of the theme; life extending its control over nonliving robots (but with a limitation of complexity). "Biomechanical" implies that it's limited to partly mechanical beings, not fully mechanical. Which doesn't make sense to me. Why should a robot be harder to control than a living thing? So the mask has limitations. And, the more complex something is, it makes sense it would be harder to grasp, doesn't it? At that point, you're going beyond the "biomechanical" power and going more into "The Mask of Robotics". Which is a nice power idea, but not this mask. This is not the Mask of Conjuring. It doesn't need built-in limitations. I don't know why people insist on building limitations into perfectly good masks. Lol. "On your side", or willing to listen anyways. I figured this mask worked similar to the Komau. Where you could control any robot or mechanical device, as long as you can override its thought processes. I guess not.

So... the Mask of Vulture transforms the bodies of the deceased into life energy which can then be absorbed by the wearer? That's what vultures do. Unless, of course, you're assuming that there is a type of energy that leaves the body upon death that could be absorbed by a wearer of the Mask of Vulture. Only on those poor souls foolish enough to be around the wearer for a really long time. Perhaps not simpler, but easier to understand. Mask power names are not developed based on how "poetic" the name is, they are the power summarized in one to three words. Otherwise, the Kadin could have been called the Mask of Gukko. After all, Gukko birds can fly, so a Kanohi Kadin user would be like a Gukko. And that brings up the questions; What type of energies? Life? Elemental? Spiritual? How do we know they escape? Never mind that statement. See above. Agreed. Or it could work like the Toa Nuva's adaptive armor. So if a team of Toa took turns using this mask, they all could theoretically mutate into water-breathers? The way you want it to work, a Huna wearer would remain invisible, a Pakari would remain super strong, etc, etc... if their masks were removed while active. Every mask will and should shut down its power when removed, the only the exception to this is the Olmak under certain conditions. Actually, the Akaku would only give you X-Ray vision. Any sight enhancement done by it would be by built-in telescopic lenses. So, I don't see why the Mask of Sensory Aptitude should be limited because of it. Never mind that. I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time. I understand the reasoning behind it, they both accomplish the same thing, just by different methods, but I still feel as though the methods of copying are different enough to merit individual masks. What about the Mask of Clairvoyance? Or the Mask of Rahi Control? Why not use these for the unnamed Kanohi? Why create new powers? For what reason would you limit it in that way? It should be to the full power of Voporak. You mean, think boomerangs. Specifically, Hydraxon's exploding boomerangs. If they exploded, they didn't come back. If they didn't explode, they would return to him. Only the mask requires the thrown object to bounce against something in order for it to return. Ah, okay, that makes sense now. However, the Hau just protects, making it a defensive mask. Balta's Repellers, acted as both offensive and defensive tools, making it not just another Hau clone. No, I like mechanical. It covers a wider range of abilities. Why would it be able to control biomechanics but not full mechanics? Why only simple machines? And how simple is simple? Fire drones? Vahki? Exo-Toa armor? What makes a "friendly" robot different from an "unfriendly" robot? The mask should allow the user to control all mechanics, the only limit should be the user's knowledge of mechanics. I do admire your wanting to think "outside the brick" for these powers, but don't allow your originality to get consumed by over-complication. None of them are overcomplicated. They're exactly as complicated as they need to be, for each of them, same as previous powers. But those powers came from Greg, the story team, and the set designers. LEGO employees. If fans threw a fit about a power, like the Miru/Kadin incident, oh well. These powers were made by fans. Non-LEGO employees. The easier the powers are to understand, the less questions that have to be asked, the closer to the accepted norm, the better it will be accepted among the general fan-base. And most of the things you said aren't any more or less complicated. I could ask you detailed questions about the differences between Noble and Great, what would happen in specific situations, what about overlaps (like Hau with your Balta version of Rebounding), along the same lines as jimmybob did, and you'd end up with as much "complexity." And I will gladly answer any questions you have about the powers I stated. I was merely refering to yours and Thormen's emmensly long posts on why Vulture is or is not a good mask power name.

Well, I came into this way too late, but I'll put my own two cents in anyway. I personally believe mask powers should be easy to understand and judging from the walls o' text, many of these are quite, no, very confusing. Here is what I perceive these powers as being based upon their names: Mask of Vulture: Drains the life energy of those near the wearer. I would prefer to call this the "Mask of Predation." It is far simpler and should require far less explanation than "Vulture." This also bypasses the need to explain how the mask drains something that is not there. Mask of Untranslation Incomprehension: Encrypts written languages and turns the speech of others into incoherent babble. Probably best described as an anti-Rau. Mask of Adaptation: Allows the user to take the maximum advantage of an environment. There should be no confusion over this one. If the mask is removed, its power goes away. If Gali took off her Kaukau while underwater, and had no other way to breathe, she would eventually drown. Mask of Sensory Aptitude: Enhances all five senses of the wearer. I'd prefer this to be called "Sensory Enhancement." "Aptitude," while having the same basic meaning, does not accurately describe the mask power. Mask of Absorption: Allows the wearer to temporarily absorb and use any power the wearer is exposed to. This mask works the same way Vezok's power works; In order to use a power, he had to be exposed to it. Pouk's mask power requires him to study it before he can use it. Vezok could use the power instantly, if he survived it. Pouk's would only have to see the power in use. Greater risk= Greater gain or greater loss. Mask of Aging: Allows the wearer to rapidly age anything the wearer touches. Unlike Voporak who only had to be near something to age it, the wearer has to be in physical contact with the target. Mask of Undeath: Drains minute amounts of life energy from the wearer and stores it till the wearer dies. Then, the wearer's body is infused with the energy and the body performs the last objective the wearer thought of before dying. Zombification, anyone? This works similar to the Tryna, only the user gets reanimated. Conjuring: Grants the wearer any feasible power desired, as long as the power has a drawback to its use. The mask is limited to one power at a time and will strike out at the wearer with a mental backlash if the power is not feasible or lacks a drawback. Perhaps the most speculative of all the masks due to its awesome possibilities. Greg was wise to have the mask require a direct downside to the power usage. Rebounding: Deflects the force of an opponent's attack back at them, causing the attacker to be hit with an equal amount of force. This should function in the same way Balta's Twin Repellers do. Mechanics: Grants the user control over mechanical objects. This should function in a way similar to the Nynrah Ghost Blasters, only its effect is limited to the wearer's concentration. If the Ghost Blasters can override the mechanical components of biomechanical beings, I don't see why the mask can't control fully mechanical beings. Fusion: Causes a forced fusion between the wearer and whoever or whatever the wearer is touching. The wearer must suppress the conscience of the other being or the merge will be undone. I consider this something between a Kaita, the Spear of Fusion, and the Makuta's ability to absorb other beings. I do admire your wanting to think "outside the brick" for these powers, but don't allow your originality to get consumed by over-complication. 8 year olds don't want to read a three page essay on a mask power, they just want one or two sentences describing the power and be done with it. However, that's just my thoughts about it.