Hero Factory 2011

[Aanchir]

Are you sure? Going by Lego's track record for this year's sets...

I believe Front said something to the effect that we would not be seeing stickers in future HF sets. But I may have been completely misinterpreting what he said. Not that I care either way-- in fact, I can see how some people might prefer stickers in this case if they'd rather have more matching silver, dark silver, and white armor pieces and fewer parts specialized to a particular character.

I've always been a fan of stickers myself, at least to a reasonable extent. If there's a broad, flat area where you'd like a pattern, I think a sticker is by all means preferable to a print. Certain sticker practices do bug me-- for instance, as practical as clear stickers are (they require fewer print colors, and can be used inconspicuously on transparent parts), they're frustrating to avoid getting dust and fingerprints on while applying. Likewise stickers are just a bad idea in general for parts like 2x2 or 1x1 round bricks where they're prone to coming off. And of course I've never been a fan of the STAMP: Sticker Across Multiple Pieces. It's been in practice since near the beginning of my experience with LEGO, in the set Pizza To-Go. In those days I used to get my dad to use a razor blade and cut a "seam" between the parts so they could still be separated. Nowadays I usually just keep STAMPs together when possible to avoid creating a visible seam on, for instance, the nameplates of Ultimate Collectors Series Star Wars sets.

Interestingly, LEGO's been using a lot more advanced printing in recent years, printing the parts where prints make sense-- that is, parts where stickers wouldn't possibly work. I'm talking about parts with odd contours like the Rock Monsters and Toy Story figs, as well as certain collectible minifigure accessories like the maracas and sombrero of the Maraca Man. Of course, these parts with advanced printing almost always come from the China plant, so they can't possibly be a good thing, right?

[rexusEON]

You know what Im not looking forward to? I knowtes in the pick of the firelord the the chest plate is hallow. I have a bad fealing that the the heros are going to look hallow like the ben10 figures. Im hopeing that it will look good though.

[Aanchir]

You know what Im not looking forward to? I knowtes in the pick of the firelord the the chest plate is hallow. I have a bad fealing that the the heros are going to look hallow like the ben10 figures. Im hopeing that it will look good though.

Why did you create a second account? Did you forget your password already? If so, I'm sure the staff would rather if you e-mailed them asking to change your password than if you just created a second account.

Anyway, how hollow the hero torsos will be depends on what you consider "hollow". After all, notice that Fire Lord's torso is much taller than the heroes' torsos. The shoulders rise above the armor base while the crotch and hip joints rest below it. The Heroes' torsos, though, use the same armor base but it stretches all the way from above the shoulder joints to below the crotch. Chances are the heroes' torsos will still be hollow to an extent, because the torso is framelike and there is no visible back armor. But the framelike torso design could still allow for a torso that feels "complete" and doesn't leave unsightly gaps. It remains to be seen.

[Zaktan of the Shadows]

Wow! These new Hero Factory heroes are slick. I don't know why they wanted to replace Bulk and Stringer, but orange and yellow as colours in one line is something thats never been done before. The helmets, in my opinion, are a mixed back, but the new peices look very intricate.

Villains on the other hand, are garbage. They are just horrible.

And I wish Mark Surge didn't return... I'm still cringing about Surge because of that TV series... His sniper is awesome though.

I also see something about "TV" below. Does this mean we'll be getting more episodes? Yay!

-ZotS

Edited October 21, 2010 by Zaktan of the Shadows

[Aethersprite]

Probably. Will take a while before we're able to even watch this year's episodes.

[BrotherDog]

Are there any other links to new sets? The ones in the first post are broken.

[The Dor]

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Also, how has no one commented on the GREEN and YELLOW heads of Nex and Furno respectively?

[Zip]

Also, how has no one commented on the GREEN and YELLOW heads of Nex and Furno respectively?

I noticed that too, but unfortunately, I don't think they're trans.

[Bfahome]

I noticed that too, but unfortunately, I don't think they're trans.

I think this is a good thing. To me it makes more sense to have a totally opaque head than a totally transparent head. Though trans-eyes are always cool.

We were probably too focused on the other aspects like new pieces and glorious weapons to give much thought to head color. The pics make the heads seem a bit too tall, though, but I won't pass final judgement until I see more pics.

[prateek]

It looks like all the Heroes have minifig accessories in special colours!

I wonder what I could make with blue spears.

[Refia]

In that group shot, the heroes limbs and overal build don't look as hideous as before, but those heads and helmets are still a big no. Sickening compared to the nice helmets of 2010, or the many great Kanohi designs.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Refia

[Aanchir]

In that group shot, the heroes limbs and overal build don't look as hideous as before, but those heads and helmets are still a big no. Sickening compared to the nice helmets of 2010, or the many great Kanohi designs.

I myself like the new helmets. It helps that Hero Factory is distancing itself from BIONICLE-- in my eyes, BIONICLE was what it was (and I enjoyed it thoroughly), but there's no reason Hero Factory should try to be just the same thing with a different name. The new building style and simplified design aesthetic help a lot in that regard. The helmets, too-- they feel more suited to the Hero Factory genre than the previous helmets, and better match the head designs of side characters like Lucy, Zib, and Big Joe.

Basically, it's beginning to feel like Hero Factory is a theme in and of itself rather than some sort of spin-off theme of BIONICLE. I can see how you could feel differently-- the helmet/face-shield designs certainly don't have the same level of uniqueness as the various shapes of Kanohi or helmets from past years-- but considering that the new helmets aren't even trying to resemble those in concept I see no reason to judge them by the same standards. And as visors/eyepieces, they're amazingly unique and distinct from one another. I think that's what counts, rather than demanding that they all make the face and head shapes feel completely different.

[Mesonak]

Yeah, I agree with you, Aanchir. IMO I like what Hero Factory's doing next year; one base helmet with different attachments and accesories; It's a cool idea, and was never attempted by BIONICLE.

I don't think I've posted my thoughts before, so I'll go ahead and do it.

For once, the Heroes actually look better than the villains; In terms of design, at least. Bendable limbs are one immediate plus, and the color schemes are another; Oddly enough, they remind me of the Toa Mata. A prominent color with bits of black thrown in to offset the main color. I'm loving their taglines, which I hope they keep. I especially love Surge being a sniper; That gun looks absouletely gorgeous. Overally, my favorite one has to be Stormer; He looks great. I also especially love Evo and Nex; Yellow and orange as primary colors! Finally!

I also wonder what happened to Bulk and Stringer, but looking at the group shot, it got me thinking...

Fire Lord's helmet certainly looked like an altered version of Stringer's. But maybe it's just the four eyes. It would be cool if he somehow defected to the villains' side.

Onto the villains, my opinions are mixed. I have no doubt the color schemes of all will change when finalized pictures come out, but even then, they're a mixed bag. Drilldozer and Nitroblast look like they have promise design-wise, but Jetbug and Fire Lord look too... cluttered. Too many random appendages sticking out everywhere, and for some reason, Jetbug uses the pre-2009 hand pieces. Why? Not to mention Fire Lord looks way too much like a combiner model. When I saw him, I thought of the Toa Kaita from 2001; His design is very reminiscent of them, with the double legs.

Parts wise, I really couldn't ask for anything better. So many new pieces! And a recolored Meltdown tank, as well as Mata red Inika feet. Recolored BIONICLE parts are almost nonexistant, but they make up for it with the amount of brand new pieces.

Hero Factory 2011 is looking great for me, honestly. And peoples' opinions will probably change when finalized pictures (and the sets themselves!) are released in a few months.

-Mesonak

[Aethersprite]

Onto the villains, my opinions are mixed. I have no doubt the color schemes of all will change when finalized pictures come out, but even then, they're a mixed bag. Drilldozer and Nitroblast look like they have promise design-wise, but Jetbug and Fire Lord look too... cluttered. Too many random appendages sticking out everywhere, and for some reason, Jetbug uses the pre-2009 hand pieces. Why? Not to mention Fire Lord looks way too much like a combiner model. When I saw him, I thought of the Toa Kaita from 2001; His design is very reminiscent of them, with the double legs.

It's just the prototype. For example, way back in 2008, Gresh's prototype used the old hand piece as well.

[The Dor]

It's just the prototype. For example, way back in 2008, Gresh's prototype used the old hand piece as well.

The old hand piece is necessary for his claw, so I doubt it will be changed in the final set.

[Aanchir]

Overall, I'm not that impressed with the villains, particularly Fire Lord who has such a chaotic color scheme. But one I'm decidedly impressed with is Jetbug. His color scheme seems rather well-structured-- bright yellow, transparent fluorescent reddish orange, and the new dark silver, all atop a black base. Plus of course the bright red spikes on his shoulders, but those really don't impact the color scheme too much.

Jetbug in particular also makes me wonder how the villains' eyes/heads will be built. Since Nitroblast only has one eye-- a Barraki eye in Transparent Bright Green-- it's likely that he'd use just a Y-joint like Meltdown did. Fire Lord and Drilldozer could both use just Glatorian heads or the new Hero heads, but Jetbug's head is too flat for that to be a particularly likely possibility. I suppose once better pics begin to show up we'll have a better idea in our heads!

[Bfahome]

I myself like the new helmets. It helps that Hero Factory is distancing itself from BIONICLE-- in my eyes, BIONICLE was what it was (and I enjoyed it thoroughly), but there's no reason Hero Factory should try to be just the same thing with a different name. The new building style and simplified design aesthetic help a lot in that regard. The helmets, too-- they feel more suited to the Hero Factory genre than the previous helmets, and better match the head designs of side characters like Lucy, Zib, and Big Joe.

Basically, it's beginning to feel like Hero Factory is a theme in and of itself rather than some sort of spin-off theme of BIONICLE. I can see how you could feel differently-- the helmet/face-shield designs certainly don't have the same level of uniqueness as the various shapes of Kanohi or helmets from past years-- but considering that the new helmets aren't even trying to resemble those in concept I see no reason to judge them by the same standards. And as visors/eyepieces, they're amazingly unique and distinct from one another. I think that's what counts, rather than demanding that they all make the face and head shapes feel completely different.

I get what you're saying, and I think it's cool to have helmet attachments too, but I have to go with Refia and say that wow are some of them ugly.

[Refia]

I get what you're saying, and I think it's cool to have helmet attachments too, but I have to go with Refia and say that wow are some of them ugly.

That's what I meant. I have nothing against Hero Factory distancing itself from BIONICLE. I'm just saying that it looks bad. If these had been on BIONICLE sets, I would have said the same: holy heck those are ugly. 0_o Hero Factory can try whatever it wants, doesn't mean I have to like whatever it does, right?

Edited October 25, 2010 by Refia

[Aanchir]

That's what I meant. I have nothing against Hero Factory distancing itself from BIONICLE. I'm just saying that it looks bad. If these had been on BIONICLE sets, I would have said the same: holy heck those are ugly. 0_o Hero Factory can try whatever it wants, doesn't mean I have to like whatever it does, right?

No, of course not. It was the comparison to past helmets and Kanohi that made me think you were trying to judge them by equal terms (i.e. implying that these were trying and failing to achieve the same look as Kanohi, rather than going for an entirely different look). If it's just an aesthetic consideration, then I see how you could dislike some of them. Out of curiosity, which ones do you find particularly unattractive? In the front-view group pic, I can see how Furno's can look somewhat unnatural, since it's got those round attachment points so high up on his head (hoping that future pics and the actual set will look a bit better than that; now that I've noticed that it's hard to ignore). But I'm rather fond of the ones for Breez, Surge, Stormer, and Evo. Kind of hard for me to judge Nex's since in the front-view pic it sort of blends in with his jaw.

[Nightmare]

My problem with the helmets is just that LEGO has done the big leap in a single move, instead of pregressing from one style to the other. They're quite nice, but still should be worked a little bit more, specially Stormer's and Furno's.

Anyways why you all guys complain about the fire lord? He looks nice to me.

[CabooseBM]

After actually looking at the helmet attachments, I find I rather like them. They could be in better colors, yes, but they all look nice and varied, and even better, they all make sense for their character.

Furno the scout gets goggles, Stormer the commander gets a scouter, Surge the sniper gets a telescoping eye, Breez the "close combat specialist" gets a full face guard.

It works out rather nicely.

[Refia]

No, of course not. It was the comparison to past helmets and Kanohi that made me think you were trying to judge them by equal terms (i.e. implying that these were trying and failing to achieve the same look as Kanohi, rather than going for an entirely different look). If it's just an aesthetic consideration, then I see how you could dislike some of them. Out of curiosity, which ones do you find particularly unattractive? In the front-view group pic, I can see how Furno's can look somewhat unnatural, since it's got those round attachment points so high up on his head (hoping that future pics and the actual set will look a bit better than that; now that I've noticed that it's hard to ignore). But I'm rather fond of the ones for Breez, Surge, Stormer, and Evo. Kind of hard for me to judge Nex's since in the front-view pic it sort of blends in with his jaw.

I'm least fond of Furno's, to be honest. The big eye-effect of the goggles, coupled with what looks like a smile on his face underneath makes him look dorky, to be frank. Kind of like those anime characters who have such thick glasses their eyes are replaced by swirls in the glasses. Same kind of goofyness for me.

IMHO, either Stormer or Surge's add-ons for their helmets look the least distracting or unpleasant to the eye, for me. I think my biggest gripe with these new helmets is that the silver of the add-ons stands out so much, making them seem incredibly tacked on. I prefered it when things such as mics or cameras were just integrated in the helmet itself, like in the first line of heroes. That looked much better, they were nice little details that showed how much attention LEGO put in the helmet designs, but this is overkill for me.

Just my opinion, though. Compared to the villains, the heroes aren't that bad. But from what I've seen, I liked this year's sets much more. Perhaps seeing more pics of the build 2011 sets will change that, it happened before, but until then I'll remain sceptical.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Refia

[Extreme Sadness.]

Updated thoughts on the new sets:

Unless the Villians get a complete overhaul(as in, completely scrap the designs), I'm not spending a penny on them, they look too cluttered, have too many new peices, and look too much like those Bionicle ripoffs from a while back(The ones that had very stylized peices), not to mention the new parts are WAAAAY too smooth.

These thoughts go quadruple for the Fire Lord, unless he gets a completely different design, I'm not touching it's box with a ten-foot pole.

I'm not very optimistic of the heroes either, their designs are also too smooth.

I blame all the people who said "we need craploads of new molds EVERY YEAR" .

-ES

[Aanchir]

Updated thoughts on the new sets:

Unless the Villians get a complete overhaul(as in, completely scrap the designs), I'm not spending a penny on them, they look too cluttered, have too many new peices, and look too much like those Bionicle ripoffs from a while back(The ones that had very stylized peices), not to mention the new parts are WAAAAY too smooth.

These thoughts go quadruple for the Fire Lord, unless he gets a completely different design, I'm not touching it's box with a ten-foot pole.

I'm not very optimistic of the heroes either, their designs are also too smooth.

I blame all the people who said "we need craploads of new molds EVERY YEAR" .

-ES

Ummm... what? How are any of the molds "too smooth"? They're exactly as smooth as they're supposed to be. If you wanted them to look like ridiculously-complex BIONICLE parts, I've got a bit of news for you: this isn't BIONICLE, and to be quite honest I'm glad these parts are trying to establish a unique look for Hero Factory rather than just sticking in BIONICLE's shadow.

It's also worthy of note that smooth parts are characteristic of another brand besides Hero Factory. It's called LEGO, and I'm sure many AFOLs will be happy that next year's sets are reducing specialized details like robotic pistons in favor of simple parts where functionality comes first (admittedly the detail was one of my favorite aspects of BIONICLE part design, but I'm not claiming other themes can't be good with a unique style of their own).

As for the ludicrous and ignorant assumption that we're getting "craploads of new parts" next year, let me share some data with you. The heroes of next year have 25 new parts, which is a pretty normal amount for a canister-set series. Here's a chart for your convenience:

Toa Mata: 25 new parts

Bohrok: 27 new parts

Toa Nuva: 16 new parts

Bohrok-Kal: 6 new parts

Rahkshi: 29 new parts

Toa Metru: 25 new parts

Vahki: 13 new parts

Toa Hordika: 25 new parts

Visorak: 18 new parts

Piraka: 30 new parts

Toa Inika: 28 new parts

Barraki: 28 new parts

Toa Mahri: 24 new parts

Phantoka: 28 new parts

Mistika:24 new parts

Glatorian: 21 new parts

Glatorian Legends: 19 new parts

Stars*: 8 new parts

Ben 10 Alien Force*: 21 new parts

2010 Heroes: 22 new parts

2011 Heroes: 25 new parts

*I listed both Stars and Ben 10 Alien Force as canister set series for early 2010. It's a matter of interpretation which of them (if either) would count-- after all, Ben 10 Alien Force is a licensed theme, but based on parts budget it's closer to most canister set series (including Hero Factory canister sets) than the Stars were.

Overall, I'm curious what you'd expected from next year's heroes. Perhaps you, unlike most fans, considered the Vahki and Bohrok-Kal to be the epitome of brilliance when it comes to canister set series due to using so few new parts. Perhaps you feel that Hero Factory 2011 should have just stuck with the "same old action figures with extra armor thrown on top" gimmick used by the Toa Nuva. Perhaps you consider the Toa Mata, Bohrok, Rahkshi, Toa Hordika, and all 2006-2008 canister sets to have been cruddy designs, pandering to the fan demand for more new parts instead of making do with the ones that already existed.

Incidentally, many of the pre-2006 canister set series I listed with more new parts than next year's heroes were fan favorites. Among 2007-2008 sets, many fans apparently considered there to be too few new parts, since there were unyielding complaints about how we "deserved" new Toa torso designs in those years.

I'm deconstructing your assertion not to try and prove that the Hero Factory sets next year are flawless. I agree that the villains look rather cluttered (although Jetbug in particular is gorgeous in my opinion), particularly Fire Lord with his chaotic color scheme and unconventional build. But you are using flawed logic and flawed assumptions to justify your opinion (keep in mind that on top of the unfounded blanket statement of "too many new parts," you're basing all of your opinions purely on preliminary pics which are subject to change). Better to just stick with "I don't like next year's Hero Factory sets" and keep your posts honest than to start creating imaginary flaws and blaming other fans for causing them.

On a side note, those "BIONICLE ripoffs with stylized pieces" are ones I've always hesitated to call ripoffs on the basis that they're creative sets using entirely different pieces than BIONICLE sets. Only the large ("titan-size") sets could be considered ripoffs, since they do plagiarize the look of existing BIONICLE sets-- the canister-sized sets, on the other hand, were completely unique and their only similarity to BIONICLE was that both were buildable plastic action figures.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Aanchir

[Zarkan]

It's also worthy of note that smooth parts are characteristic of another brand besides Hero Factory. It's called LEGO, and I'm sure many AFOLs will be happy that next year's sets are reducing specialized details like robotic pistons in favor of simple parts where functionality comes first (admittedly the detail was one of my favorite aspects of BIONICLE part design, but I'm not claiming other themes can't be good with a unique style of their own).

I doubt it, considering that in the process of reducing the amount of detail, TLC has also engineered these new parts with far less connection points than most pieces in the Bionicle line. This was actually a problem that originated with 2010's Hero Factory sets, but it was only really present in the Heroes, and only to a certain extent. In contrast, both the good guys and bad guys of 2011 are absolutely bursting to the brim with smooth, technic-hole-less parts, which does not bode well for those who were hoping Hero Factory would feature as many useful molds as Bionicle. I'm sure people will find uses for them, but I doubt they'll find their way into as many MOCs as parts like the Toa Mata tools or the Skrall/Vorox armor.

Really, it's obvious to me that TLC has gone for style over function in this new breed of constraction figures - which makes it all the more troubling that these sets also mostly fail asthetically, IMO. While I was appalled by certain aspects of the 2010 Heroes (okay, mainly just the gun-arm POOPS), I have come to admit that they are rather flashy. I also was fine with the majority of the villians and the vehicles, which while not being exactly original were well-designed and had some appealing new molds. Not so with 2011, where the villians look like Transformers rejects and the heroes all wear ugly goggles and carry Rescue Hero-esque tools. It's not that I don't aprove of them trying to differentiate Hero Factory from Bionicle - what I do disaprove of the method by which they've accomplished this. Would it really have killed them to slap a few pin-holes onto the new molds and to put more effort into making the designs look stylish? Right now, what they've got is (as I've said before) one step away from Neo-Shifters, and it saddens me that they would slap the official lego logo on such rubbish.