I Think I Understand Why Some Elements Just Aren't As Accepted As

[Anti Nui]

Edit: It should have said "Others" at the end of the title, I guess I made it too long.While reading the "Elements That Just Didn't Work" topic, I began to form an idea in my mind for why some of us have a hard time seeing certain things as elements in the Bionicle storyline. Since Psionics seems to be the one that popped up most of the time in that thread, I will use it as an example.When we think of elements such as Fire, Water, Earth, Air, etc., we think of many things that associate themselves with those elements. For example, when we think of Fire, we think of hot places (such as volcanoes), brave but easily-angered personalities, and the color red. With water, we think of places like oceans, wise but calm personalities, and the color blue. These associations that we make are the things that really establish the elemental forces of nature, and it is what makes certain ones “stronger” as elements than others.So when we think of “Psionics” (or “Psychic” or “Mind” for that matter), what do we think of? We don’t immediately associate a “Psionics” element with an environment, personality, or even a color for that matter. Greg has already confirmed the preferred environment for the Ce-Matoran as “none,” which is something I respectfully disagree with. Because there is no special environment associated with Psionics, it seems less like an element or a force of nature than Fire and Water. There should have been a confirmed environment that corresponds to Psionics, like something that would have to do with wisdom. Such as a place of vast information or a library. Or maybe even an area that is populated by intelligent Rahi. A place that if you were to walk into one day, you would go “Ah, this must be where the Ce/Ta/Ga/etc.-Matoran live!” like you would probably go if you stepped into the volcanic Ta-Koro or the aquatic Ga-Koro.Another thing is the color scheme. The canon blue and gold for Psionics may be cool, but it is nowhere near unique when you have two other elements (Water and Lightning) that are already represented by blue. While this may be a relatively minor issue, and I know this isn’t something that Greg would really worry too much about, it is still present nonetheless. When we think of the color red, the first element that we would think of would naturally be Fire. When we think of the color blue, we would first think of Water. But what color would make us think of the mind? If there was perhaps a color that none of the other elements used, and it was confirmed to be associated with Psionics, it would at least then establish the color that we are supposed to be thinking of when we think of Psionics in a unique way, and would not make us first think of a different element, such as Water.As for the personality, this is something that I’ll admit was elaborated on in the storyline at least a little with the infamous Orde situation. It seems that the Great Beings intended Psionics to be associated with a gentle (and perhaps implying wise?) personality when they switched the gender to female. (And please, let’s not start the sexist debate again, OK?)In summary, what I am trying to say is that in order to make things that we would not normally consider elements more like something we would, we need to establish certain things that we would associate with it, such as a unique environment, a unique color, and a unique personality, most of which Psionics does not have.Now, keep in mind that I’m not saying we should be pestering Greg (which is kind of impossible at the moment anyway) to rearrange the canon or retcon anything, I’m just sharing my thoughts on the matter. Besides, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not that big of a problem (especially compared to some of the things brought up in the "Making Sense Of The Nonsense Ending Of Bionicle").Anyone agree/disagree or have a different take on the matter? Edited March 30, 2012 by Anti Nui

[Tilius]

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Edited April 26, 2021 by Tilius

[The Great Spirit DM]

The longevity of something usually influences its acceptance by people. This I think is what Tilius is saying. However, these elements exist and no, their lack of association to much of anything is not a huge problem. However, I must say that this could be improved. Some elements can get confused with others. The boundaries can get indistinct at times after all. A pity. However, there is not much of anything that can be done. Maybe if Greg would begin writing the serials again, we could have more things associated with these "uncommon" elements. That would be a start. Until then, all that we can do is outline what each power does.That's how I see it.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Nujanii: Kanohi Master

[GSR]

There's also the simple fact that many of the other elements simply didn't get the sort of screentime that the original six and things like Light/Shadow did. Every year we had characters closely linked with the original six elements take center stage and more often than not wind up as sets; many of the other elements are present only in low-exposure tie-in media like the books or serials.

[Sumiki]

Psionics is an interesting element, but not only is it completely superfluous and unnecessary to the story, it cannot be fired in a straight line. All six of the original elements could, and three of the five real elements of the Kal could be. Magnetism is unnecessary for the BIONICLE story, and Gravity is so unlike the other elements that it, like Psionics, is scrutinized. Dark pink and trans-green could be the color scheme and I don't think anyone would care.Basically, I don't think it works as an element. Psionics could go out the window and I couldn't care less about it. I've always been of the opinion that Crystal would have been a better element than either Psionics, Gravity, or Magnetism.My main beef with these "insubstantial elements" is this: how do you suppose those elements work when constructing a Toa Seal?Back when the debate over the canonization of Kinetics as an element (all of my what), I believe that Brickthing said that two of the six elements used to create a Toa seal could be replaced with a smart guy on a treadmill. This was intended to be interpreted in a facetious manner, obviously, but it got me thinking - how could Kinetics work? How could it possibly combine if you can't fire it in a straight line? You could give the air molecules a boost of motion, but hey ... isn't that the element of Air? Words cannot possibly begin to describe the relief I experienced when it wasn't canonized, though I still was ruminating on the other, similar elements it would have joined.Let's start with Gravity. Really, it's only redeeming quality is that purple is one of the element's colors. Moving swiftly along.Magnetism is something that ... I guess might be able to be used? I can see a strong magnetic field being a factor in Toa Seal creation, but I don't particularly like it.Again, Psionics is basically the poster element for elemental non-acceptance. Again, I don't think its canon color schemes or lack of preferred environment provided by Greg (Magnetism and Gravity have the same lacks in the latter area, if I recall correctly), but that those things are one of the many symptoms that stem from an element's root cause of being insubstantial.Another issue I have with Psionics is that it's less of an element and more of a broad power - it's like Greg took all of the Psionics-based mask powers, consolidated them, and said "oh whoops I accidentally a new element." No offense to Greg or anything (if he ever even reads this) but Psionics shouldn't have been force-fitted into elemental status - I just think that the individual Psionic powers work better as masks.(Back to the colors for a moment ... blue is a color present in every female element, save Light, which is the only unisex one. Now, I'm not saying that this is stereotyping or anything, but I don't think that the colors are a problem. With twelve elements, there's bound to be some overlap.)This is probably a bit of a rambling post, but my point is this: I do not believe that elements should be in the canon if they simply do not make sense as a functional element. If something is insubstantial, don't make it an element - there are going to be further problems with its implementation. You can call something an element all day long, but if it doesn't have many or any of the things that distinguish the other elements from the others - little details like preferred habitats or distinctive mannerisms - it's not going to ever be viewed as a viable element from the majority of the fan base.

[bonesiii]

Very insightful -- and I agree! I think several mistakes were made in defining Psionics that weren't necessary.Also, there are some misconceptions about it -- Sumiki, you just said one; Psionics energy can be fire in a straight line. All elements can be, including magnetics and gravity -- but some are easier in elemental energy form, which might include Psionics. Of course, the weird nature of it makes this less obvious to most readers. Also, making a protocage requires six beams of elemental energy to be fused, so it doesn't matter what the elements are like when converted from EE to the element (other than light and shadow).I like the idea of wacky elements, including Psionics, if only because it is more imaginative than the usual. But yeah, would have been more imaginative with a setting for it. Right on, right on.Also, the point Tilius raises makes sense too. I think it's a combination of factors, sort of the "perfect storm" against what otherwise could have been a powerful challenge to people to apply their imaginations -- it was anyways, but it was watered down by some lack of imagination in canonically defining it, not having enough time to feature it, etc.

Edited March 30, 2012 by bonesiii

[Anti Nui]

All of you are bringing up very good points. Though I wonder... if the original Toa Mata elements were the weird ones (Psionics, Magnetism, Gravity, etc.) and the normal ones (Fire, Water, Air, etc.) were the ones that came later and were featured much, much less, would the same thing happen?Also, to Sumiki - I agree that Kinetics would have been a bad element (I don't think I even understand what exactly it was supposed to be. Is it supposed to be Kinetic Energy? Or Energy in general? Which would include the elements Light, Sonics, etc.?). However, I don't really agree with your point (if I'm understanding it correctly) that because there are so many mask powers and abilities in general that are related to the mind, it makes "Psionics" unnecessary as an element. There are plenty of beings that have electric power that isn't considered elemental, and there are some masks and tools (such as the Ruru) that are related to some elements but don't actually have "elemental" power. Though I will admit that there's probably a lot more related to Psionics than the other elements...And about the colors- I did say that it was not much of a problem. But I do remember some people (probably me included ) that went "Huh? Another blue one?" as well as some people that complained that Lightning wasn't yellow. But again, not a big issue. It's just something that would help, if anything.

[Voxumo]

i personally did not like psionics becoming an element either. But i can think of one reason why it was made an official element: So that greg could have a background story for how the order of mata-nui learned to shield their minds. yes i'm pretty sure greg could have come up with another way to explain it.Also i must ague that i feel Gravity totally deserved to be an official element because i mean really who would not want to be able to increase someones gravity to where they are face down in the ground and can not move. or you have a pesky rahi or tree blocking the way you could just fling them into orbit.I will admit magnetism is kinda of far fetched but i could see it uses. your in a battle against some rahkshi you could increase their magnetic pulls and cause them to become stuck which could serve as a distraction. Plus the power of magnetism could make anything become magnetic if i remember correctly.And also on the topic of the coloration of psionics i believe it should have been something like purple and gold because when i think of psychic powers the color purple always come up and i mean really a great color as purple only used by one element and also nearly impossible to find purple bionicle pieces.Oh and also if i had to think of a place the Ce-matoran would be i think they would fit in with the ko-matoran of old metru-nui when they all were scholars and such where as on mata-nui they became more rugged. but yeah those are my opinions on the subject

[Sumiki]

Also, there are some misconceptions about it -- Sumiki, you just said one; Psionics energy can be fire in a straight line. All elements can be, including magnetics and gravity -- but some are easier in elemental energy form, which might include Psionics.

I don't see exactly how. Brain waves plus five other elements? That doesn't add up for me.

[fishers64]

Also, there are some misconceptions about it -- Sumiki, you just said one; Psionics energy can be fire in a straight line. All elements can be, including magnetics and gravity -- but some are easier in elemental energy form, which might include Psionics.

I don't see exactly how. Brain waves plus five other elements? That doesn't add up for me.

Any Elemental Energy can be fired in a straight line; but the effects of Psionics Elemental Energy cannot be fired in a straight line.

[Kaleidoscope Tekulo]

The colors of lightning and psionics elements being blue was something I wasn't very much a fan of. I mean, there's potential to swap out water for lightning or psionics for a set, but that never happened, so that point is pretty much moot. Though, I've always associated Psionics with clear and mild/sand purple, which is why the blue and gold just didn't do it for me. Hmm... Though, I'm not too sure if it's brain waves that lift things. All the other elements seemed physical or had energy to them. I kinda think of psionics to be like connecting the user to the object via an invisible string of energy as opposed to brain waves. Concentrate that energy into a thicker string and thus it might be used for an elemental cage, or it could be fired in a straight line (the more energy in the beam you fire, the greater the effects and the more control the user would have). Think of it as a microphone. It's your voice and you can say whatever you want. The wires (or the elemental string) attaches the device to the speakers to amplify the effect of your voice (or in this case, lift an object to the user's liking)That's just how I see it anyway. And I agree there should be a unique environment (perhaps something that fosters focus and peace, given the GBs wanted them to be gentile) and a personality would be nice to see too.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Tekulo: Toa of Gales

[bonesiii]

Yeah, combining any six (other than light and shadow together which act specially to cancel each other out) elemental energy beams basically converts the energy to "elemental energy of protocages". A conversion from one energy to another, prior to them converting to whatever their elements would have been.Incidentally I take this as still more evidence for my cyberclay theory; a code in the nanite protodermis molecules could simply detect whether six beams are combined, and change their elemental identities. This way the makeup of those six beams would be irrelevant. Yet the exception for light and shadow would also make sense if, as I further theorized, the code is binary using light and shadow.

[Kumata]

Psionics is actually one of my favourite elements, however, as you pointed out, it's integration to the story was done so poorly. It's just another of those things I wish Greg had thought through a little better, rather than just tossing it into the story.

[Scanty Demon]

The problem I had with Psionics was that it seemed overpowered. Not mention it can be very hard to write a character with Psionics and keep the tension. If Psionics had more restraints then I think it would have been more accepted. Why do I think it's a overpowered or "Mary Sue" element? What's the point of having a character sneak up on an enemy with Psionics if the character can just detect his mind and defeat the hero? What's the point of going through a journey to find the evildoers secret base if the character can read his mind and find out where he hides in ten seconds? Not mention a Psionic Nova blast could way worse than a normal nova blast (to be fair we haven't seen a Toa of Psionics use a nova blast so the jury is still out on what would happen). Yes you could have the enemy use mental shielding to keep from mind readingers, but you would have to give every villain that but still how would you even develope such a shield?I'm not saying a character with Psionics can be written well, some fanfic writers have managed to accomplish this feat. But they're not writing canon are they I don't believe there were any restraints with Psionics in canon (in all fairness for mind control they have to want to do the thing that the Toa of Psionics wants them to do). In short I think Psionics is a tricky element to write, at best it can be a useful but not too useful element at worst you have the makings of a Mary Sue.The same could be said for Gravity but I think that may be a slightly easier element to write for in my opinion.

[bonesiii]

You raise good points, Nyctophobia, but on the other hand things like Mind Control were around from the start. A victim of that as a Mask Power or from a Toa would be just as helpless.I can see it feeling overpowered to have so many similar powers available to one Toa without the need of a Suva, though. All things considered, although it's a cool concept to me personally, Psionics probably would have been better not canonized as an element. Or rather, it would have been helped by a Story Squad style fan poll process similar to what Kinetics had to go through (and was turned down due to being unpopular).