iLego94 Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 Yeah, let's end this. I'm looking forward to what Tyranide has to say about the MU . . . ~iL
Zarkan Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 Eh, Greg proved to me he can write by writing "Shadows in the Sky". Ever read the chapter where the Ignika makes its body? That's good writing right there, and I know it could have been far, far worse. People just like to complain for the sake of being "rebellious". That's really all there is to it. Toa Ignika in general was so incredibly win that he was easily one of my favorite parts of 2008. Seriously, he's possibly one of the most unique characters in the Bionicle storyline - as he's not actually a living being at all, but a mask that temporarily gains the ability to act like a living being. Watching his gradual evolution from a mute and simplistic "being" to a hero was really awesome to watch, and it's one of many things that makes me disagree with Darth Vader's asserations. But hey, since we want to get back on topic, how exactly does Tyranide know that 2010 has something to do with the MU? Seriously, this better not be another fake claim.
166Eric Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 The Vahki were the worst, the others were more like insects, the Vahki were like bad robots. I wish the Vahki had a "queen" that acted like Braniac from Superman. Creating an interesting character isn't as black and white as giving them a personality. The fact that the Vahki used their ultrasonic language and had that solid robotic expression meant you could never really tell what they were thinking. They were this detached, alien and unpredictable force. And they seemed completely without sympathy which made them even more fearsome. You knew that if you stepped out of line they would suddenly snap and they wouldn't stop until they had you. That was enough to invoke a pretty decent sense of fear (although the movie kinda played this down for obvious reasons). I'll do some BS01 quote ripping: "Vahki don't knock. They smash doors down. And they keep smashing them down until they find the one you're hiding behind." Here they're expressed as unreasonable and frightfully unyielding. The whole idea was that you couldn't relate to, and therefore feared them and I don't think giving them personalities would have aided this as much. There are several routes to engaging an audience with their character other than giving them human-like personalities. You give the character no form of speech, for example, and they become completely enigmatic (that's probably on TVtropes now that I think about it ). Also I thought the plan to go into flashback was conceived pretty much at the beginning with Bob Thompson. Sorry for not ending this. I just haven't been on in a while. I'm getting excited about this info as well.
Omicron Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 (edited) Plus the Vahki having a "Queen" would just be a total rip from the Bohrok, who already have queens. :P Besides Vahki were under Dume/Makuta's control anyways. She he is their queen. :P If anything, the Vahki were really awesome considering they were like gestapo with only one focus that they are programmed with. Saying characters with no personality are the worst can also be applied to, I dunno, the Terminator? The terminators had no personality and most of the time not even a speaking role, and yet they always stick out in your mind as being so awesome. Or perhaps Stormtroopers from the SW movies? Or maybe the clones perhaps? -Omi Edited September 29, 2009 by Omicron
Refia Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 Toa Ignika in general was so incredibly win that he was easily one of my favorite parts of 2008. Seriously, he's possibly one of the most unique characters in the Bionicle storyline - as he's not actually a living being at all, but a mask that temporarily gains the ability to act like a living being. Watching his gradual evolution from a mute and simplistic "being" to a hero was really awesome to watch, and it's one of many things that makes me disagree with Darth Vader's asserations. Quoted for truth. Toa Ignika was easily the greatest characer Bionicle has ever known and will ever know. Greg did a fantastic job on that character, for which he has my eternal respect, as I'm a very devoted Ignika fan. I hope one day we will see the Toa of Life again, so we can continue following his slow bu steady progression to understanding and being a living being. Seriously: "I will do what must be done. Then I will be like Matoro. I will be a hero." Is easily the greastest quote ever. As for the Matoran Universe: NO! I don't wanna see that place again. More Bara Magna, please, please, please, LEGO!
Brickthing Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 As for the Matoran Universe: NO! I don't wanna see that place again. More Bara Magna, please, please, please, LEGO! We'll most likely see both, because Mata Nui and Co and two of the Star sets are currently still there, while the rest of the Star sets are in the MU. I'm glad we're going back, because I want to see the saga being concluded properly, and then the story is free to leap away to some completely unrelated place that Bara Magna wanted to be, but couldn't be.
Refia Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 I just would have liked a few more years just focussing on Mata Nui's journey and searching for a way to reclaim his empire, not an immediate return after just a year. The end of 2008 (and 2009) showed such great promise for a new story arc starring Mata Nui. All these rumours now are ruining all the potential. =(
tao07 Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 (edited) As for the Matoran Universe: NO! I don't wanna see that place again. More Bara Magna, please, please, please, LEGO! ...FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF- agreed but setting the story in Bota Magna, underground Bara Magna or even the Red Star (got some theories...) would be fine too Edited September 29, 2009 by tao07
The Alchemyst Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 Well I guess it was coming anyway, I mean for those who saw TLR [or even those who didn't] can probably guess what will happen now for Mata Nui. =/ So it's bound for us to return to the MU. [-TA-]
ShaddowCroc Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 Heywaitaminute. What if Tarduk and co. find a beacon to the Red Star at the end of Riddle of The Great Beings, and tell Mata Nui and co. about it. Since Makuta is planning to use the red star to get to other planets anyway, Mata Nui and co. hitch a ride on it to get to the MU?
tao07 Posted September 29, 2009 Posted September 29, 2009 Heywaitaminute.What if Tarduk and co. find a beacon to the Red Star at the end of Riddle of The Great Beings, and tell Mata Nui and co. about it. Since Makuta is planning to use the red star to get to other planets anyway, Mata Nui and co. hitch a ride on it to get to the MU? I was thinking the same thing! *cough*ackar*cough*
166Eric Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 We'll most likely see both, because Mata Nui and Co and two of the Star sets are currently still there, while the rest of the Star sets are in the MU. I'm glad we're going back, because I want to see the saga being concluded properly, and then the story is free to leap away to some completely unrelated place that Bara Magna wanted to be, but couldn't be. Wholeheartedly agreed. Although I do still quite like Bara Magna anyway. What they may end up doing is a MU story for the first half of the year, and use the movie for the second half. Like with MoL and LoMN.
Brickthing Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 What they may end up doing is a MU story for the first half of the year, and use the movie for the second half. Like with MoL and LoMN. Well that's what they did this year as well isn't it? The problem with having only the MU in the first half of the year is that Gresh and Skrall are Star sets too, and I can't see how they'd just get projected into the MU, unless MN&Co find an escape pod or something of the GB's, Gresh goes inside, panics when a Skrall is also there, and activates it. Then, they're sent through space much faster than Mata Nui went in the Ignika, and the pod collides at such a speed with The Makuta that it punctures through Makuta and into the MU. Or Makuta spots the pod and eats it. It's a stretch, so that's why both settings seems like a good idea. I agree that the Red Star seems likely to get involved, because it's currently the main linking element between the two worlds, and it's already been established that it's capable of space flight and beaming stuff up from a planet. Greg has also said that The Riddle of the Great Beings serial will lead into a 2010 Graphic Novel that explains the purpose, origins and mysteries of the Red Star.
---Vertea--- Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 even though we already know it's function
dviddy Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 And besides, there are people who would argue that Dan Brown is no better a writer than Darth Vader thinks Greg F. is. Seriously, you can't win or lose a debate like this, because it consists totally of subjective opinions that neither side can claim as fact. That's why I get sick of the attitude that "Greg's a bad writer and if you think he's good, then you have no literary taste." If you don't like Greg, fine, but don't act like your opinion is suddenly better than the opinion of somebody who does like him I'm sorry, but there actually are concrete guidelines that one can judge an author based on. And after spending four years in college studying exactly that, I can confidently assert that Greg is a subpar writer- if he wasn't, he wouldn't be writing for LEGO. Dan Brown is also not going to win any literary awards anytime soon (any literary review of his works are always negative. He can tell a good story, but the way he tells the story is dreadful.) This is one of those moments where I'm going to assert something Bonesiii is fond of saying. You can have your preferences, but your opinions need to be grounded in reality and logic. According to most literary conventions (even for children sci-fi books), Greg does not pass the test. This isn't completely subjective. Very little in life truly is. And what's this about juvenile violence? Seriously, the current level of violence in the books and comics doesn't even come close to the level of of Michael Bay's violence or even violence in most modern comic books. If Greg was truly like Michael Bay, there would be pretty much nothing but mindless action, and thus we would not get scenes like Kopaka talking to Solek or Mata Nui, Ackar, and Kiina exploring the Great' Being's lab. I feel personally that Greg has achieved a good balance of violence for the most part, and the battle scenes he writes are excellent. Violence =/= juvenile all the time, Vader - otherwise practically ever epic fantasy or sci-fi story would be juvenile in your eyes. Most of the violence and deaths Greg has thrown into the story as he's been given more control have been unnecessary and over the top. Last year's serials were basically just a springboard for Greg's desire to kill whomever he felt like, in whatever manner he felt was fun. I read a lot, and can almost guarantee I read far more than the rest of you do (I was a literature major for four years, after all), and violence, as an established part of the human experience, has an important part in our literature. If you can't see the difference between violence and deaths for the hell of it (like what Greg has instituted in these books [or in his published science fiction novels, which are far worse in this regard]), and violence and death that serves a purpose and functions within the story in a believable and purposeful way, then there's not a lot I can do to help you out. And as there's speculation that 2010 may be the end of BIONICLE, or the end of this saga, or whatever, I feel this is a perfect place to say that if either are true, I sincerely hope we move on without Greg involved in writing outside of the Magazine.
Refia Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 I may not have been studying literature and yada yada like the great Darth Vader, and while I do agree that most serials aren't very good (this year has been much better so far), to say Greg sucks or isn't good at all is stretching it. There are far worse writers out there who have sold so much it makes me loose faith in humanity. Stephenie Meyer, anyone? Sorry, but no, Greg doesn't suck. At least he can spell and is willing to do violence or kill characters, be it believable or not, and he has some humidity, and can take some credit and doesn't have a youngr brother check all his mail and delete any negative comments. Of course, if you know anyone who can do better, by all means, go offer their services to LEGO. Bionicle can only benefit from it. As for the Red Star, I agree that it could serve as a link between the universes, but I still don't quite see how it all could make sense. Seperate locations doesn't seem too likely either, for "that will be too confusing for the target audience", you know?
iLego94 Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 DV - don't judge Greg until you hace read something else by him, the Shatterzone book is quite good ;). Now let's get back on topic before we get in trouble again.
-Tilius- Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 He has. If you can't see the difference between violence and deaths for the hell of it (like what Greg has instituted in these books [or in his published science fiction novels, which are far worse in this regard]), I just agree with DV. Basically. - Tilius
Lemonardo 114 Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 Heywaitaminute.What if Tarduk and co. find a beacon to the Red Star at the end of Riddle of The Great Beings, and tell Mata Nui and co. about it. Since Makuta is planning to use the red star to get to other planets anyway, Mata Nui and co. hitch a ride on it to get to the MU? "Mata Nui's guide to the Bara Magna" says otherwise. I won't tell anything more.
KonguChan Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 (edited) Wait, what? When has Greg ever created a unique personality? He uses the same ten for everything. And not only that, but once he became the novelist, many of the personalities from the previous years were drastically altered. The man is not a good writer. Not even in the relaxed standards of science fiction writers. He can't set a scene, he can't write dialogue, and he relies far too much on juvenile violence. It's like if Michael Bay wrote children's books. He's nice in his interactions with fans, and he's done a lot of giving of time and energy to BZPower and fans he didn't have to interact with. He's thrown a lot of random things into the story because fans have asked. But that doesn't make his writing any good. I respect the man in many areas, and like I said, he's been good for the fanbase. And Lord knows he tries to get things through sometimes. But... no. AMEN I can contact Greg, but that does not mean that most of the characters are not stereotyped cliches (even so, did a good job with Metus) and Beelzebub knows he has sinned of contradiction in almost everything related to Bionicle, and, Darth Vader saids Edited September 30, 2009 by KonguChan
Refia Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 "Toa Ignika" sucks, lousy character, horrible, simple and useful ... Gadunka with one mask, was only made to sell more sets Your opinion is WRONG.
KonguChan Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 Your opinion is WRONG. nopes "Toa" Ignika sucks =) kises, KonguChan
Refia Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 nopes"Toa" Ignika sucks =) kises, KonguChan Actually, by saying he does, you are contradicting yourself. You agree with DV when he says Greg uses cliche after cliche, but if anything, Toa Ignika was a very unique character. Haven't come across an object making a body for itself in any other story, anyway. And now suddenly that's become cliche and cheap too? Tell you what, you guys are just complaining for the heck of it. And no, that's not really cool or anything. It's sad, if anything. Besides, Toa Ignika does not suck. *hugs Toa Ignika*
Toa Nuva007 Posted September 30, 2009 Posted September 30, 2009 I'm glad we have a fancy literary major here to critique books written for nine year olds.
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