Hero Creator Updated

[Aanchir]

So it turns out herorecon.LEGO.com now redirects to the main Hero Factory website. And sure enough, this means the Hero Creator on the main site has been updated to the new, 3D version.

Known changes:

• Unity 3D web player now needed to run the Hero Creator
  
• Heroes can be rotated while building
  
• Two body types to build from-- classic Hero Recon Team hero and Toxic Reapa
  
• Parts no longer limited to those existing in real life, although not all real-life colors can be used
  
• "Pose" button puts your Hero in an action pose
  
• More parts available-- 2001 "Fire Sword", 2002 "Ice Blades", 2012 blade from Batman/Breez/Black Phantom/Stormer XL, etc.
  
• 2.0 head now has glowing eyes
  
• Gallery and Hero Creator now hosted on HeroFactory.LEGO.com
  
• Heroes built before update cannot be edited

Things that stayed the same:

• Name options and other story details (favorite food, etc.)
  
• Heroes you've built before are still in the gallery.
  
• Building process is still more limited than LDD, though probably more intuitive and engaging for younger users.
  
• Heroes can still be used in Mission: Ordeal of Fire and Mission: Savage Planet, though they are probably simplified and standardized just like those on the old Hero Creator.

Here's my first Hero built with the new Hero Creator

What are your thoughts? Think you'll be using the new Hero Creator more, or less? What do you think could still improve the experience?

Edited May 25, 2012 by Aanchir

[TheRedGuy]

Game is a bit glitchy, I think it's fine tough. I love how you can choose to make a Fire Lord sized skeleton or a basic skeleton.

[DraikNova]

I like the new hero builder, although I wish you could actually build XL heroes, not to mention use 4.0 parts (4.0 chestplate plus old upper armor would be AWESOME!). Plus, all the really cool armor additions aren't in the program!

Edited May 25, 2012 by DraikNova

[Mesonak]

My problem is that the picture shows a Fire Lord style build but you can't actually build it... just Toxic Reapa.

And the fact that they added older parts like XPlode's head, the weapons, and such but neglected to add basic Breakout parts like the torso, or even stuff as old as the Savage Planet pieces featured in Recon Team.

Hopefully we'll see some updates.

[DraikNova]

I just realized what really bugs me about the program: the lack of purple and other important colors.

[Gatanui]

Apart from looking nice and the ability to recolour the beams, it´s pretty much the old Hero Builder/a Toxic Reapa builder. I´m better off using LDD or real pieces.

-Gata

[MakutaDreadscythe]

Well, I like the graphical update...the posing...new colours, but thats about it. The fact you can't use the new breakout torso when something as old as the XPlode helmet seems very jarring, not to mention that you can't adjust the armour's position, or weapon position, and lack of armour variety. That, and there's no new helmets for the heroes, not even the ones from Savage Planet!

[Magna]

I liked it. I've tried to build. I left Iron Man, as far as possible.

[Shakar]

Toxic Reapa body style...really, Lego? I would've much preferred the possibility to choose for narrow shoulders and short Evo/Stormer/Surge style arms, I can't be the only one who thinks so.

That said, the new style is pretty good, though there are some problems: you can't change the cladding orientation (which is one of the coolest things of the 2.0 building style IMO), some colours are missing (silver and lilac, what happened to you guys?), you can put the MTIS on the left arm only, also the page (on Chrome at least) takes up a LOT of memory.

Aaand, I miss the "factory" sounds the old program made.

[Mesonak]

The more I experiment with this program the more flaws I find; this wasn't really made as well as it should have been.

For instance, you can create a pretty elaborate weapon using the MTIS (nothing too complex, just an Evo 2.0-esque weapon), but because you can't rotate pieces freely like in LDD, it makes you not able to place cladding due to the parts conflicting. I've seen numerous other instances in my experiments where it also forces you into one of the three poses because certain parts combos only work in one.

And not to mention the ridiculously limited parts selection, moreso than Recon Team, and the random and absurd Toxic Reapa style build over more customizable heroes or even just a titan-style build (like is pictured).

I can't speak for all of you, but my problem with Recon Team wasn't the fact that it was in 2D. I didn't want a fancy 3D program that makes my browser slow as molasses. I just wanted customization (ability to rotate and place armor where you want, changes in bone structure) and a larger abiliy to recolor parts. They delivered the recoloring (kind of.... I guess... even though they neglected colors like gold, purple, etc.), but reduced the parts selection by a huge deal, completely neglecting Savage Planet, and a very minimal amount of Breakout pieces are featured, but only when you're building Toxic Reapa.

It's also funny because when you use Breakout parts on Toxic Reapa, they're INVISIBLE in the gallery. So don't use any of those pieces if you want to post it in the gallery.

Edited May 26, 2012 by Mesonak

[Aanchir]

The more I experiment with this program the more flaws I find; this wasn't really made as well as it should have been.

For instance, you can create a pretty elaborate weapon using the MTIS (nothing too complex, just an Evo 2.0-esque weapon), but because you can't rotate pieces freely like in LDD, it makes you not able to place cladding due to the parts conflicting. I've seen numerous other instances in my experiments where it also forces you into one of the three poses because certain parts combos only work in one.

And not to mention the ridiculously limited parts selection, moreso than Recon Team, and the random and absurd Toxic Reapa style build over more customizable heroes or even just a titan-style build (like is pictured).

I can't speak for all of you, but my problem with Recon Team wasn't the fact that it was in 2D. I didn't want a fancy 3D program that makes my browser slow as molasses. I just wanted customization (ability to rotate and place armor where you want, changes in bone structure) and a larger abiliy to recolor parts. They delivered the recoloring (kind of.... I guess... even though they neglected colors like gold, purple, etc.), but reduced the parts selection by a huge deal, completely neglecting Savage Planet, and a very minimal amount of Breakout pieces are featured, but only when you're building Toxic Reapa.

It's also funny because when you use Breakout parts on Toxic Reapa, they're INVISIBLE in the gallery. So don't use any of those pieces if you want to post it in the gallery.

I think it's understandable why they kept it with limited options, though. After all, if they had made it just an online version of LDD, then it would have been redundant. Part of the point, I think, is to have a simpler, more intuitive building system for younger builders, not to mention to have something that continues to be compatible with the games "Mission: Ordeal of Fire" and "Mission: Savage Planet".

Hopefully there will in fact be future updates that provide more of an incentive to use the new Hero Builder, or at least fix some of its flaws. Making heroes built with it compatible with the Breakout game, for instance, would be cool, although that of course already has its own customization system so that might not work out too well. Overall, though, I wasn't expecting anything that was a much better experience than LDD. I am slightly disappointed that there's no "animate" option besides changing the poses, but it's not like I expected to use the Hero Creator much more than I had before the update.

[Cirkit]

Mine won't let me pose the darn figure, but I've made two so far, and they're not so bad. I am a little cross at the fact that TR's parts don't appear in the gallery. A glitch, I know, one that could have been avoided.

Among my little nitpicks are these- The colors Orange, Silver, Purple, and Lime are strangely lacking from the selection. Silver is an issue especially, with coloring the headgear and tools. Certain Cladding (like the piece used for TR's lower-arm) cannot be rotated, or added to the legs or upper arms. The heads are limited, though the selection of all the 2.0 headsets and caps are great. Did I mention there is a lack of Orange and Purple? Really ticks me off that they'd forget Orange..

I like that the options for spikes and stuff is available, and the rotating feature. If the posy- option worked for me, and if the TR parts appeared in the gallery, that would be terrific. I hope there is an update soon.

..but yeah, that's my thoughts.

[LegoSantaMoss]

cool