Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[Ikaatril]

Question: now that the summer wave has been revealed and no sets in it come with Skull Spiders...

What happened to the red Skull Spiders seen in some of the promo comics? Were they from preliminary designs?

Also, any predictions for 2016? Other than new incarnations of the Toa, of course. That's practically a given if we're sticking with the same team.

[Kingslayer]

I soooo hope we get some character villain teams like the Barraki or the Piraka

[CabooseBM]

Snake warriors as the villains, duh.

[Quisoves Pugnat]

I soooo hope we get some character villain teams like the Barraki or the Piraka

While I could see something in the order of the former, given the likelihood of an underwater year somewhere along the line. The latter, however, I find extremely unlikely, given LEGO's stated desire to emulate the Mata Nui years and avoid the grimdarkness of the later story (which the Piraka epitomized.)

Edited February 5, 2015 by Quisoves Pugnat

[Kingslayer]

While I could see something in the order of the former, given the likelihood of an underwater year somewhere along the line. The latter, however, I find extremely unlikely, given LEGO's stated desire to emulate the Mata Nui years and avoid the grimdarkness of the later story (which the Piraka epitomized.)

I wasnt really referring to the themes, just more so the general concept of having a team of villain characters and just using examples.

[Quisoves Pugnat]

I wasnt really referring to the themes, just more so the general concept of having a team of villain characters and just using examples.

I see now. Sorry about that.

For all we know, we might have that with the summer wave. The villains may be zombies, but they could still have personalities.

[Dorek]

While I could see something in the order of the former, given the likelihood of an underwater year somewhere along the line. The latter, however, I find extremely unlikely, given LEGO's stated desire to emulate the Mata Nui years and avoid the grimdarkness of the later story (which the Piraka epitomized.)

Did they ever say specifically that they were avoiding the tone of later years? Obviously there's certain aspects of the 01-03 story that work for them that they want to emulate, but I've said before that I don't think people are properly estimating the "darkness" of this wave. Especially since we have villains with names like "Skull Slicer" and "Skull Grinder".

(also I absolutely loathe the term "grimdark" but that's beside the point)

Anyway, aren't the skull guys a villainous team, technically? They're not horde enemies...

[Kalhiki]

Snake warriors as the villains, duh.

What next? Stone warriors?

Not sure what I want as far as villains go, but I would like to see some cultural influences. Samurai are always cool. I'm just glad that the summer has a villain team and not just more beasts.

[Quisoves Pugnat]

Did they ever say specifically that they were avoiding the tone of later years? Obviously there's certain aspects of the 01-03 story that work for them that they want to emulate, but I've said before that I don't think people are properly estimating the "darkness" of this wave. Especially since we have villains with names like "Skull Slicer" and "Skull Grinder".

My position is fueled from having been aware of the story for more than six months, the NYCC panel, and official sources such as the new story writers and even Greg. All official comment is that this is a reboot and a new canon. Anything else is speculation mixed with willful ignorance.

To elaborate, since I am allowed to these days, the story team spoke very openly in our discussions prior to NYCC about raising the 01-03 story eras for new ideas and storytelling, because those parts truly defined the line in the company's mind, and also far and away outsold anything else. They wanted a reboot to recapture the simplicity and the mystery, and talked a lot about stealing concepts from the early years and repurposing them in the new story. They felt the latter years grew messy and convoluted, and the more dark and edgy tone was opposed to the line's spirit as they saw it.

I wouldn't describe the Summer villains as "edgy." They're voodoo-zombies. They draw their menace from being unnatural and primal, not from being thugs and bullies.

[MakutaDreadscythe]

For those asking about the mask. :)

Apologies for the large size of the photo, I had to upload it in a rather unorthodox fashion.

Edited February 5, 2015 by MakutaDreadscythe

[Dorek]

dat mask

I wouldn't describe the Summer villains as "edgy." They're voodoo-zombies. They draw their menace from being unnatural and primal, not from being thugs and bullies.

Fair enough (unlike apparently a lot of people, I'm inclined to believe Deevs since he was there =P), though I'm still of the opinion that the line as a whole isn't being considered as dark as it should be. Undead villains with incredibly violent names might not be "edgy" these days, but it's certainly a departure from the colorful elements of the winter.

[Quisoves Pugnat]

Undead villains with incredibly violent names might not be "edgy" these days, but it's certainly a departure from the colorful elements of the winter.

I agree that it's a departure, in the same way that the original portrayal of Makuta was a departure from the colorful Toa and Rahi. But it's not out of left field (the skeleton-motif being already present in the Winter wave,) nor is it as if everyone was expecting the new BIONICLE to be like 60's Batman.

[mysteriouspi]

...nor is it as if everyone was expecting the new BIONICLE to be like 60's Batman.

"Some days you just can't get rid of a Skull Spider!"

In regards to the "darkness" of the summer wave, right now it's what one makes of it. Other than what DV said, we don't yet know how LEGO will treat the villains. Heck, we don't even know if they can speak or not.

[Timeline15]

To be honest, despite the villains being bone themed, I highly expect they're going to dance around anything actually to do with death. At most, we might see the villains climbing out of some sort of crypt. I imagine the toa will hit them and they'll fall apart comically into piles of bones.

I could be totally wrong about all of this, but I think assuming a dark tone simply from skeletal sets is a bit far.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Timeline15

[Clone 01354 Productions]

The latter, however, I find extremely unlikely, given LEGO's stated desire to emulate the Mata Nui years and avoid the grimdarkness of the later story (which the Piraka epitomized.)

......Oh wait.....

Seriously, people always say that '06 was a dark year, but I never understood that. Could someone explain?

Edited February 6, 2015 by LN-01354

[GK733]

......Oh wait.....

Seriously, people always say that '06 was a dark year, but I never understood that. Could someone explain?

Death of the (Matoran) Universe if the Mask of Life fell in the wrong hands.

I'm not wanting the story to get more edgy. But have more heart to it. Bringing on field enemies that can actually talk and act like characters. Not just some random skull soldier out of the hundreads. Nor creature/rahi.

Edited February 6, 2015 by GK733

[CabooseBM]

What next? Stone warriors?

Yeah! Oh! Oh! And after that, Cyber-Ninjas!

[Bigger Fish]

I'm beginning to think that they'll function kinda of like a zombie army with the Slicers and Warriors being the main foot soldiers and the rest being generals. Or maybe they'll al be foot soldiers and their will be special versions of each set that function as the leaders much like LOSS.

[Destroz65]

Yeah! Oh! Oh! And after that, Cyber-Ninjas!

No Cyber Toa!

[Quisoves Pugnat]

But that would be... Excellent.

[DuckBricks]

Did they ever say specifically that they were avoiding the tone of later years? Obviously there's certain aspects of the 01-03 story that work for them that they want to emulate, but I've said before that I don't think people are properly estimating the "darkness" of this wave. Especially since we have villains with names like "Skull Slicer" and "Skull Grinder".

(also I absolutely loathe the term "grimdark" but that's beside the point)

Anyway, aren't the skull guys a villainous team, technically? They're not horde enemies...

Yeah, the skull guys aren't like the Bohrok, as far as we know, but their names are so generic they may as well be warriors of a huge army, with"Warrior," "Basher," and "Slicer" being ranks of warriors akin to "general," "soldier," and "lieutenant."

Grim dark sounds like tree-speak now that I think of it...

EDIT: Looks like "Bigger Fish" summed up most of my post... Sorry about that.

Edited February 6, 2015 by legozebra

[Mesonak]

I firmly believe the Skull villains are no more than reanimated zombie guardians of the city. Those looking for any degree of character to come out of them are unlikely to receive it, although they may have subtle hints towards personalities.

[Nekchir]

Skull Grinder will be the one saying an epic quote.

[MakutaOfWar]

Why all the hate for the darker story of the olden days? Crap, I miss the YouTube Bionicle community of 09. ._. I'm pretty sure that at least Skull Warrior is a "army-builder" set, with the other 3 medium tier sets being a commander type of soldier, while Grinder being the leader(and possibly being under Makuta). At least that's how I see it. :D

[Clone 01354 Productions]

I don't mind if these villains are just mindless swarms. I mean, Gen 1 had a mindless swarm of creatures in 2001 (Rahi)....and 2002/2003 (Bohrok), 2004 (Vahki), and 2005 (Visorak); It wasn't until the Piraka that we got specific villains (Aside from titan sets). And none of those waves bothered me, since the sets were great and they had story significance.

Death of the (Matoran) Universe if the Mask of Life fell in the wrong hands.

I guess so, but it's not like the Matoran Universe DID die; it was just a chance. The only "dark" event that I could really think of was Matoro's death.