A closer look at the original purpose of the matoran.

[Taipu1]

Yeah, I was mulling this over, and it seems to me that the matoran don't have the appearance of beings who became sentient by accident. If they were designed for one purpose only, why do the different matoran all have basically the same features, when they have different functions to perform. I'm gonna use Metru Nui as an example here, and the 6 sections of the island.Ta - MetruThe importance of mask making is obvious, the matoran need masks to work. However, surely if the only purpose of the Ta-Matoran was manufacture, why did the GB's not simply build a factory with mechanical arms?And following on from that, mask making would no longer be necessary if all the Ta-Matoran were mechanical arms.Le - Metru Transport of goods is all very well, but why do the chutes and airships need matoran controlling them, when that could be done by a computer?Ko - MetruPredicting the future, obviously an important thing for Mata-Nui's quest, but why do they need to be semi-organic chaps wondering round enormous towers?Po - MetruConstruction of machinery such of the Vahki, could again be done by mechanical arms. And I'm not sure what the purpose of the sculptures is, but I suppose they could have come about after the matoran gained sentience.Onu - MetruMining makes sense, raw materials are necessary for making new components for repairs and such. This is perhaps the best argument for having semi-organic beings, as it requires intelligence to mine, as rock is not uniform, and machinary would not be able to do the task on its own, without some epicly complex computer program at least. The archiving might just be a record for the GB's when they eventually get to see the MU again, and this collection of data could arguably not be done by anything other than living, thinking beings.Ga - MetruThe temple obviously has important stuff in it, but the kind of spiritual side of it suggests use by sentient beings. The purification of protodermis is a necessary thing, but could once again be done by machinery.So given all this, doesn't it seem like the Great Beings made it more possible than necessary for the matoran to become sentient. They made them semi-organic, living things, when they could be purely mechanical. They put landmarks like the Great Temple and Coliseum in place, which would really only be the haunts of beings with free will. So why the matoran design? Why was Metru Nui not just one Giant machine?

Edited July 12, 2012 by Taipu1

[fishers64]

Why not? Why not organic beings? Semi-organic chaps walking around in towers? Why not have them - they're fun. :)But seriously, let's try this for example. Let's say that Matoran found a more efficient way of keeping concious than masks, so mask makers would be no longer needed. Computers control transporting of things, and predicting the future is no longer necessary because Skakdi have proven to be extremely accurate at it, the Vahki are built by machine as you say, and so the purification is done that way. If all the roles you stated were eliminated, the semi-organic beings could go do something else. Take on new roles. Build new things. Make things more efficient.A primary example is Mata Nui (the island). Machines designed to run Metru Nui wouldn't have adapted to the new attack from within as well as the Matoran, who escaped Metru Nui to the surface, took on new roles on Mata Nui to keep themselves alive and to fight off Makuta. Machines couldn't have done that. Semi-organic beings can innovate and adapt to new conditions. The Great Beings sent Mata Nui The Robot off on a voyage of space exploration. They might not have known what was out there - and even if they did, things can change in outer space. The Great Beings wanted nanotech that could adapt to change, just in case something happened to warrant that kind of change. The problem was that they got a little more adaptability than they bargained for.

[The Iron Toa]

I couldn't think of any worthwhile response until Fisher's post. He reminded me that I read somewhere that the Great Beings chose biomechanical beings instead of pure machines because biomechanical beings are more adaptable.

[Makuta Matata]

I think that the GBs intended for the Matoran to gain some degree of sentience, but not to develop into fully sentient intelligent beings. But then again, what would be the point of Bionicle if they didn't?

[Taipu1]

A primary example is Mata Nui (the island). Machines designed to run Metru Nui wouldn't have adapted to the new attack from within as well as the Matoran, who escaped Metru Nui to the surface, took on new roles on Mata Nui to keep themselves alive and to fight off Makuta. Machines couldn't have done that. Semi-organic beings can innovate and adapt to new conditions. The Great Beings sent Mata Nui The Robot off on a voyage of space exploration. They might not have known what was out there - and even if they did, things can change in outer space. The Great Beings wanted nanotech that could adapt to change, just in case something happened to warrant that kind of change. The problem was that they got a little more adaptability than they bargained for.

Would Makuta have been a threat if the whole of Metru-Nui was just a big machine? Originally it was just his intention to take that over, and control the matoran. I know it's kind of speculative, but the matoran were always Makuta's main aim for take over, he wanted their control and respect. Take them out of the robot and replace them with machinery, and will Makuta have anybody to rule over? Anybody to threaten? Other than threats from the inside, which the Great Beings planned for with Toa, what else would there be to adapt to? I suppose alien attack from outside could be a potential problem, one thats never come up in official storyline. I would've thought it would be virtually impossible for that to happen without another massive robot though. If it were all machinery, I doubt there'd be much adaption needed. Edited July 12, 2012 by Taipu1

[Sybre]

I believe Matoran were intended to be workers because each elemental region serves a purpose and the workers can help the world prosper.

[~Shockwave~]

if you have a planet full of machines, whats the point? they wouldn't be aware, and arguably wouldn't have been doing anything productive.plus if one breaks, you have to have another to fix it, and if that breaks, another, another. its really not that efficient.where a matoran can do a multitude of jobs. and "repair" each other if necessary.and when something happens the whole thing doesn't come crashing down on itself.they can adapt.

[previnyl]

I think the Great Beings made the Matoran so that they could adapt and account for "freak things" that could happen to the robot, while machines would have a harder time doing so.Honestly though, it's because Bionicle wouldn't exist if they were machines.

[fishers64]

A primary example is Mata Nui (the island). Machines designed to run Metru Nui wouldn't have adapted to the new attack from within as well as the Matoran, who escaped Metru Nui to the surface, took on new roles on Mata Nui to keep themselves alive and to fight off Makuta. Machines couldn't have done that. Semi-organic beings can innovate and adapt to new conditions. The Great Beings sent Mata Nui The Robot off on a voyage of space exploration. They might not have known what was out there - and even if they did, things can change in outer space. The Great Beings wanted nanotech that could adapt to change, just in case something happened to warrant that kind of change. The problem was that they got a little more adaptability than they bargained for.

Would Makuta have been a threat if the whole of Metru-Nui was just a big machine? Originally it was just his intention to take that over, and control the matoran. I know it's kind of speculative, but the matoran were always Makuta's main aim for take over, he wanted their control and respect. Take them out of the robot and replace them with machinery, and will Makuta have anybody to rule over? Anybody to threaten? Other than threats from the inside, which the Great Beings planned for with Toa, what else would there be to adapt to? I suppose alien attack from outside could be a potential problem, one thats never come up in official storyline. I would've thought it would be virtually impossible for that to happen without another massive robot though. If it were all machinery, I doubt there'd be much adaption needed.

All this is based on the assumption that the Matoran fell into their assigned roles on Metru Nui without self-guiding. The Great Beings might have been able to create machines to do the jobs that the Matoran ended up doing, but would they have been able to predict that the Matoran would assume those roles in the first place? I doubt it. And what if the Matoran needed to do something different? How do we know that the Onu-Matoran have been miner/archivists since the robot was built? It's kind of best to assume that they were, but the Great Beings didn't know that they should always be miner/archivists, or if the best solution to reuniting Spherus Magna required them to be that way. The Great Beings didn't know the best solution to reuniting Spherus Magna, so they sent Mata Nui to figure it out. This solution may have required the Matoran inside the giant robot to act in a different manner, or for Mata Nui to create new creatures altogether, which he did. The machines you suggest could have been harmed by these new beings. Better to have semi-organic beings that can adapt to the new conditions. Mata Nui was supposed to learn the best way to reunite the planet, and about the cultures and other people of other planets. This mission reacquired him to adapt to new situations, even if it's just the fact that this planet is warmer or the gravity of this sun is stronger or the fact that the aliens on planet Z have laser rifles and grenades and don't like islands. And we don't know what threats were out there in the galaxy Mata Nui was exploring, which could have included giant-robot eating monsters. Now, granted, having it all done by machine would reduce the risk of internal sabotage, but apparently the Great Beings were more concerned about external harms. The one fallacy that the Great Beings consistently make is that they expect their creations to carry out their commands, adapting to obstacles along the way, but forgetting that the ability to choose an alternate or better way to get to a point can lead to doubt about whether getting to that point is actually worthwhile, which allows for the choice of not completing the action. And/or completing a different action counter to the mission at hand. But apparently they figured the risk of internal sabotage was worth the gain of avoiding whatever dangers there might have been. And it did work - just not exactly how they planned.

[bonesiii]

The basic idea is that they are maintenance workers. The humanoid form is among the best for mobility balanced with ability and other things. Other forms would be possible, as long as they were mobile -- robotic arms would not be enough unless they were based on something mobile.Prior to this they had tried fully robotic things, the Baterra, who didn't turn out well. And sapient -- the Element Lords. That didn't turn out well. So they wanted beings able to apply their imagination to unforeseen problems without being mere robots, and yet not able to choose to be evil due to sapience either.

[The Iron Toa]

Ah, yes, most of the robots we've seen in Bionicle have been rather single-minded. Bohrok: clear the island of Mata Nui. Vahki: apprehend any lawbreakers or disturbers of the peace. Baterra: kill anyone wielding a weapon. That sort of thing would not do for the more intricate tasks the Great Beings needed done and the adaptability required.