I've loved Bionicle as a product line since 2001 when they first came out. I remember my mom giving me Tahu and Lewa Mata back in christmas of 2001. Shortly after I got the Boxor set. Loved the things since.

When I first saw Hero Factory I was on a hiatus from buying Bionicle after being disapointed with Onua MISTAKEa in 2008. I didn't like it, being the immature brat I was back then I even yelled a little bit saying ignorant things such as "EW THIS THING TOOK OVER MY CHILDHOODS TOY" but no, Hero Factory didn't replace Bionicle. It was made in RESPONSE to Bionicles end. Anyways.. not the point.

I instantly fell in love with Hero Factory when I friend bought me Evo 2.0, and I bought a Stormer 2.0. The new parts were just amazing to me. Something completely new. The parts didn't break a week after I built them, they wouldn't fall apart every 2 seconds like Bionicle sets did (Inika pads) Plus the fact that Hero Factory did something no lego line has ever done before: Make 100+ new parts in one release. That was pretty cool. I loved messing around and building gigantic creatures out of the bone parts. I just found the sets more expansive than Bionicle.

Now I just collect the sets, but still am stuck with between 2-10 of each set (10 witch doctors :L) Will sell those on ebay sooner or later because I don't moc anymore. against the point though. I just really liked how all the parts worked together. They all shared a common texture and provides moccers a much more sleek look. The sets look much smoother too.

Overall, the toyline is much more expansive even if it is repetitive. The Inika builds all were basically the same toy with some minor differences. Very boring to me. HF may use a lot of the same parts, but the 3.0 sets have shown us the potential these limbs have. I'm pretty sure that's why the 3.0 was made, to show that you could build more than just a generic action figure like the Inika builds were. You could build a giant, you could build a scorpion, you could build huge things just by using HF limbs. You can even infuse it with Technic parts/Bionicle parts. It's something nice and new to me.

Now on to story.. (COMPLETELY OPINIONATED, I DON'T WANT TO BE CALLED A TRAITOR/IDIOT OR WHATEVER FOR THINKING THIS)

I've read almost all the bionicle books, almost all the online stories, ect. and personally I think Bionicle is just cluttered. The existing story is very fragile when it comes to expansion and moccing in canon. Most any action will contradict something in the story. It's too complicated for children to follow, and too much to keep up with in my opinion.

Hero Factory has both a story, and a LOT of room for making your own story. It's a simple concept, Hero characters built in a factory that go arresting villians and fight mindless monsters/evil brains. Hero Factory has books for those who want stories, and a simple concept to base stories off of for those who just want to moc and make a story.

Nothing like "ONLY 2 OLMAKS EXIST" or "MATA NUI IS DEAD", "MAKUTA CANT BE UR DAD" or whatever like most Deviantart people whine about in moccers comment sections. It's simple and clean, just like the toys.

I like both toylines a lot,but hero factory has much more for me than bionicle does. Sure my HF parts break sometimes, but not as bad as the one week life of a bionicle. You also don't have to worry about a limb cracking and it being impossible to replace without ordering. Most sets use common limbs. Simple and easy to work with.

These are just my opinions, I don't want comments calling me an idiot, traitor to bionicle, moron, or a paragraph explaining why I'm "wrong"

Mephek out. Peace.

Edited January 4, 201411 yr by Mephek

i agree with this guy.

Personal opinion, but I think Bionicle's storyline is much more in-depth. It's just my opinion.

Personal opinion, but I think Bionicle's storyline is much more in-depth. It's just my opinion.

It is in depth, but as I said. For some it's overcomplicated. I've been with it for what... 14 years..? and I still find it overcomplicated and cluttered with TONS of plotholes. I like it none the less. Just not the type of thing I'd wish to keep up with.

It is in depth, but as I said. For some it's overcomplicated. I've been with it for what... 14 years..? and I still find it overcomplicated and cluttered with TONS of plotholes. I like it none the less. Just not the type of thing I'd wish to keep up with.

I see what you mean...

Total agreement on all points.

Totally with you there. I've been with BIONICLE since in 2001, when I was 9..so you can say it took a big part of my childhood and teen days.

2007 was the last year I truly loved. The Phantoka Makuta, Phantoka Lewa, Gresh and a few other Glatorian were great sets I still keep built. I bought all six Mistika but by then, I was buying things out of habit. I didn't care for the vehicles, so I didn't even care about completing the year anymore.

So, when BIONICLE ended, my interest was at its lowest, so I just thought "Well, the names of these Hero Factory sets sound pretty..human. But I didn't like many of BIONICLE's latter run's names either, so I'll just have to see".

Sets came out, and it was no Ben 10esque stuff! That pretty much was BIONICLE with a different name. The aesthetics looked pretty great but the set designs were much more basic than what BIONICLE had gotten us used to. I got some sets as bday present, bought the other Heroes except Stringer and that was it. I wanted Von Nebula at first but then I realized I didn't like him. I used all sets as parts pack because, while the story didn't interest me, I still liked to MOC with BIONICLE pieces.

When pics of 2011 sets came out I was, I can admit that, disgusted. They looked so basic and... Megab**cky (not sure how the filter is going to work here so I'll leave it like this)? But when reviews came out, I realized how wrong I was. The new building system was simply BRILLIANT! I bought Evo, Nex, Breez, Jetbug and Drilldozer. The Villains were far from perfect, I modded them and destroyed them a few times. But the Heroes were great, just great.

I liked Savage Planet but not as much as Ordeal of Fire. A part of me still felt some sets didn't look as striking as BIONICLE.

Then 2012 came.

Breakout pushed my love for HF to new heights. It wasn't "ok with some spots of excellence" anymore, it was FANTASTIC. The sets looked great, many new building techniques were introduced, the six sets cliched scheme was finally broken, some very original colour schemes were used. Hero Factory finally, truly beat BIONICLE.

So yeah, I'm tired of writing so I'll wrap this. : P Brain Attack was largely disappointing for me, sets were far less daring than Breakout and just didn't look as good. I also didn't like that they tried to go back to BIONICLE's more organic and elemental style.. I'll be honest, I never liked it very much, I like HF's sci-fi aesthetics better. But, still,

some sets (Heroes at least) looked better than many BIONICLE sets. And the transparent shells were awesome!

Luckily HF is back on track in 2014. The piece count is higher than ever, the designs are cool and the Beasts beat BIONICLE's finest villains (and are on par with gems like Splitface, Core Hunter and other 2012 Villains).

So, yeah. HF > BIONICLE set-wise. I don't care for the story because I make my own.

I just like HF more because the parts are way more useful for what I do. Smooth surfaces are much easier to use than piston covered parts full of technic holes.

As for the story, I really only cared for Bionicle 2001-03. Don't really care enough\know about the rest of it to comment. I like that HF's storyline is not that intrusive and you can easily choose to completely ignore it.

I kind of agree. On some points even Bionicle's story felt a little childish, and HF's building system is just plain better, no doubt about it. Never before has it been so easy to make giant action-figure MOCs, which are often capable of supporting their own weight. The building system is simple to adapt both to robotic and organic designs and allows for a lot of combination with System parts. Because of this simplicity of design, old designs can be revisited with ease to test out new concepts and connections.

On the other hand, HF's story is very simplistic. And Bionicle's is the only story I have ever seen described in a manner similar to an eldritch abomination (BZPower forums), which is definitely a plus in my opinion.

Overall, I'd say HF's open-ended story helps it, as it allows for much more complex and creative backstories for MOCs without having to veer out of canon.

Edited January 4, 201411 yr by DraikNova

I like Hero Factory more in some ways (a lot of which line up with what Mephek said) and BIONICLE more in others. They have both been a big part of my life.

I definitely agree with Mephek about the room for creative expansion for fans. That seems to have been a big part of Hero Factory's initial design, what with the call center ticker that would show fans' own "emergencies", the Hero Recon Team service, the Hero Builder that was integral to one of the first online games, and the old mission logs and testimonials that demonstrated Alpha 1 Team was just one hero team among many. At least in the beginning, there was a strong emphasis on creating your own stories and characters. Some of this has fallen by the wayside due the failure of the Hero Recon Team service, but the universe itself still has plenty of room for creative expansion.

BIONICLE had some of this, especially after 2004 and 2005 provided evidence of more than six Toa at any given time and a much larger Matoran Universe than just one island and one underground city. But it was also a lot like Ninjago in that all the big universe-changing events tended to revolve around the theme's central characters. Hero Factory doesn't have so many universe-changing events, which sidesteps that issue neatly. This does not reduce the importance of the heroes' missions — there are still worlds of civilians and wildlife that depend on them. But there are so many worlds and so many heroes for them to depend on, that there's plenty of room for additional characters and adventures.

I only wish I actually had the creativity to write these kinds of stories. Most of my BIONICLE stories always involved a framework of established characters and situations — they were shoddy side-stories in which nothing much happened, taking place in between actual important events. And most of them were regrettable songfics. I have never been a huge fan of creating elaborate backstories for MOCs. I sometimes will come up with a name and a brief blurb about the personality, but otherwise I prefer to let the MOC itself do the talking.

Perhaps part of that is because of my age, though. Back when I was an eight-year-old Throwbots fan I LOVED coming up with unique characters with unique color schemes and powers and personalities, and writing stories around them. I also had plenty of fun creating custom character and mask designs in the early days of BIONICLE (2001-2002). So I imagine younger Hero Factory fans, many of whom have not yet blossomed as MOCists, are fully prepared to take advantage of the storytelling opportunities within the Hero Factory universe.

I think most people know how I feel about the Hero Factory sets, and if not, a glance at my Flickr should tell you what you need to know. I love this building system and the creative opportunities it offers. It feels like I was living in a box all that time I was making BIONICLE MOCs, and in 2011 the box was opened and I was let out.

Hero Factory, in my view, stands head-and-shoulders above BIONICLE as a toyline, plain and simple. The building system is revolutionary, and has transformed the way I build entirely. The aesthetic is a radical departure from the over-designed and busy BIONICLE parts, and much more in line with system parts. I've always wanted to build MOCs with a smooth, texturally sleek, angular-yet-curved-smooth aesthetic, and the similar design aesthetic (not to mention the minifig accessory holes everywhere!) lends mixing with system parts a smoother and easier integration as well. Though, ironically after all that, because of that aesthetic in HF sets, I've found my need for large system chunks in my MOCs to have declined rapidly. The new building system takes care of so many of those former needs. I look at MOCs from just three years ago and I can't believe the connections I relied on. This system is better.

As much as I loved following the BIONICLE story, it was bloated, over-blown, twisted, and relied too much on the whims of a singular fanbase and writer, whose skills at writing multiple character interactions and juggling multiple storylines all at once was... merely adequate. (Though Greg's willingness to communicate so openly with fans will always be beyond admirable, and his love for the story and line was always obvious. From what I understand from other LEGO employees in Enfield, Greg continues to talk about the line and the fans in an exceptionally positive manner, and that says a ton about him in a great way.) We've been discussing this on BZPower, but BIONICLE's overly-involved story, dispersed as it was through five different media outlets, made jumping on in a non-reboot year very very difficult, and was a liability in the long run. I'm proud that TLG has taken the goods from BIONICLE's story and applied them to other themes (to Ninjago's immediate and obvious success). I like the more superhero-episodic nature of Hero Factory, and it's clear it was designed, as Aanchir said, for play experience especially. It's easy to make your own stories when every second of your heroes' lives aren't already accounted for.

Both themes need more prominent female characters (especially heroes), though. One female hero for the entirety of Hero Factory is simply unacceptable.

Both themes need more prominent female characters (especially heroes), though. One female hero for the entirety of Hero Factory is simply unacceptable.

Well, there are other female heroes mentioned (not shown) in the old Hero Factory testimonials, Hero Factory FM podcasts, and mission logs. Some of them are even team leaders. So it's really just one female hero in Alpha 1 Team.

At the same time, I agree with you — one female character on a team of nine is dismal. It's also a shame that there has not yet been a single female villain (except, arguably, Dragon Bolt and the new Queen Beast... which still isn't saying much since neither of those are characters with relatable human-like personalities). I know BIONICLE only had four female villains in the sets, but it's still a pretty pitiful record for both themes.

Well, there are other female heroes mentioned (not shown) in the old Hero Factory testimonials, Hero Factory FM podcasts, and mission logs. Some of them are even team leaders. So it's really just one female hero in Alpha 1 Team.

At the same time, I agree with you — one female character on a team of nine is dismal. It's also a shame that there has not yet been a single female villain (except, arguably, Dragon Bolt and the new Queen Beast... which still isn't saying much since neither of those are characters with relatable human-like personalities). I know BIONICLE only had four female villains in the sets, but it's still a pretty pitiful record for both themes.

The team is only 7 now with the deaths of Nex and Stringer. Still.. bad lack of females. But if you wanted more females, you can just make some. Hero Factory allows you to let you implement your own characters into the existing storyline.

(About Nex and Stringers deaths, in a book about Project Sunstorm in hero factory it mentions a few Alpha 1 team members dying in an explosion. Nex and Stringer both were never mentioned since said explosion in the books. With the 2 heroes being absent for two years, it should be obvious that those two were the heroes killed in the explosion)

The team is only 7 now with the deaths of Nex and Stringer. Still.. bad lack of females. But if you wanted more females, you can just make some. Hero Factory allows you to let you implement your own characters into the existing storyline.

(About Nex and Stringers deaths, in a book about Project Sunstorm in hero factory it mentions a few Alpha 1 team members dying in an explosion. Nex and Stringer both were never mentioned since said explosion in the books. With the 2 heroes being absent for two years, it should be obvious that those two were the heroes killed in the explosion)

I still have no idea what you're talking about; I need a page number for the moment the explosion is mentioned. Stringer is still alive and functioning in the epilogue, well after Project Sunstorm has been dismantled. Check page 134 (Scholastic paperback edition) if you need a page reference. As for Nex, he is not a character in the book at all. If the book mentions Alpha 1 members dying in the explosion, then it just means Greg Farshtey is not aware of exactly what Alpha 1 Team consists of. But re-reading the book, I can't find anything even close to suggesting that.

Edited January 5, 201411 yr by Aanchir

I think HF is a huge improvement to bionicle. 2.0 pieces was what I wanted since 06, MOCing is amazing for the kids I brought them for. To me this is lego telling action figure lines to step their game up.

Well, there are other female heroes mentioned (not shown) in the old Hero Factory testimonials, Hero Factory FM podcasts, and mission logs. Some of them are even team leaders. So it's really just one female hero in Alpha 1 Team.

I know- Maddison Swift was named after BZPower staff member Nukaya (who is my girlfriend and is sitting next to me on the couch, haha).

But I don't think it really "counts" without representation in the main story and in set form. Few fans are aware of those side characters.

I am pretty much on board with everything said in this thread. Glad to see a lot of people share this sentiment.

Just wish there were more prominent woman characters.

The strange thing is that these characters, being completely robotic, even have genders at all. After all, there's no real point in doing so, as practically all character traits tend to be separate from gender even when dealing with organic creatures, even when dealing with a single species (i.e. humans).

Edited January 5, 201411 yr by DraikNova

I'm no way interested in constraction however from my non-subjective view Hero Factory is better than BIONICLE. I've got sets from both, but I think in one major department as discussed Hero Factory is better, the Storyline. As someone whom is completely disinterested normally in those sorts of sets, Hero Factory is much easier to understand and comprehend to a degree, I don't need to read a 1000 word essay to understand the basics, it's a group of Heroes stopping a villain/s dastardly plans etc. BIONICLE still gives me a head-ache, this, that, the other...For someone who became interested in Lego via the Indy sets in 08, at the far end of BIONICLE, trying to understand what a Jetrax T3 or a Mavzeka was just confusing and any flicker of interest was immediately extinguished by this utter confusion and madness of a storyline. It as the original poster said, became cluttered and too focused with quite frankly nonsense to a non fan. Hero Factory also looks more MODable than BIONICLE, the panels are easy to swap etc. Just my two pence.

The strange thing is that these characters, being completely robotic, even have genders at all. After all, there's no real point in doing so, as practically all character traits tend to be separate from gender even when dealing with organic creatures, even when dealing with a single species (i.e. humans).

Yes, but having genders helps a human audience to identify with them, and to imagine the character with a particular human voice. It also allows the series to deal with issues or morals related to gender. For instance, in Hero Factory FM, it is established that the typical civilian perception of Hero Factory heroes is one of powerful, macho crime-fighters and that this perception does female heroes like Breez a disservice. A later installment of the podcast dealt with another gender-related issue, as Breez was asked to comment on Tibor Terrell's execrable "Hero Factory: The Musical", which set Breez up as a fawning romantic interest for Furno.

The idea that robot characters shouldn't have genders is silly, because you could use the same argument to state that robot characters shouldn't have emotions or personalities. It's true, autonomous robots don't NEED genders, and they can have personalities without having genders, but they will not be as relatable to a human audience. Gender identity is a big part of human identity, even when not constrained to stereotypical gender roles.

Genders also perform one other obvious task — in English and many other languages, most pronouns have gender. Non-gendered pronouns like "it" are generally used to describe things, not people. It sounds unnatural and even insulting to identify a person as "it", whether or not that person has a known gender. And while the characters in Hero Factory are not humans, they are unquestionably people.

Edited January 5, 201411 yr by Aanchir

The strange thing is that these characters, being completely robotic, even have genders at all. After all, there's no real point in doing so, as practically all character traits tend to be separate from gender even when dealing with organic creatures, even when dealing with a single species (i.e. humans).

Shhhhhh......the other transformers fans will hear you, and there enough arguing about the same thing among them already. More is not needed.

Shhhhhh......the other transformers fans will hear you, and there enough arguing about the same thing among them already. More is not needed.

(coughWINDBLADEcough)

Windblade is a woman? Ah sorry, no getting if topic...

Shhhhhh......the other transformers fans will hear you, and there enough arguing about the same thing among them already. More is not needed.

Why do I seem like a transformers fan? Heh heh, fan *I'm imagining a ceiling fan unfolding into a bladed death trap here, in case you're wondering*.

Edited January 8, 201411 yr by DraikNova

I agree with Mephek. While both themes do have their merits, I think that Hero Factory is an improvement on Bionicle. First of all, while Bionicle's story was in-depth, Hero Factory's allows more 'space' for making custom storylines. On top of that, the new building system is magnificent. Who knows how many unique creations can be created with just those little plastic parts. However, when Hero Factory ends, let's hope Lego sticks with the new system. I'd hate to see it go.

Edited January 8, 201411 yr by Zenerius