I very often have strong disagreements with your points, so I think I should make clear all the things of yours that I like.
I’m a fan of your interpretations of Marendar, GSB, and Zaria. I think they all work well within the design language of the sets while all have distinct identities. I’m very excited to see where you take those (and other) mocs, especially seeing how most of these contests are at least two years away, giving you a lot of time to improve upon your technique.
I also admire your dedication to trying to keep a consistent design language between the sets and your visions of these characters. It might not be how I would do things, but I think it’s good that you think your designs through carefully in your own way.
Really, my only criticism of you is how abrasive you can be and how you do have a tendency to build your arguments around the same two or three points for months at a time. It can be frustrating to read through what feels like an argument I’ve already read several times already to get to the relevant nugget of information.
For your points themselves though, even if I disagree with them more often then not, I still think your input into these contests is valuable. You represent the conservative, strict canon Bionicle fan in the formation of these rules, which I think is an important voice to have in canon contests.
So yeah, in short. I may not agree with you all the time, but I apologize for being mean to you. I like many of your mocs and look forward to their appearance I these contests. Gl bro.
Saying that the post shouldn’t count because Greg forgot about it nearly a decade later is completely meaningless; if we were to decanonize every detail that Greg forgot by now, half the canon would be gone (and that goes for the novels as well, not just Greg Quotes).
Ultimately, none of this matters for the MOC that started this discussion (or any Lariska MOC), since there are no canonical size limits being imposed. The fact that Lariska is Toa-sized in-universe will have no bearing whatsoever on which entries are or are not allowed.
Well, I thought that I made my point but let’s point again the reasons I think that voters and MOCers shouldn’t feel pressed by the canon to vote for or build only Toa sized Lariskas.
Lariska is one of Greg’s favorite characters and his favorite Dark Hunter. So it’s not minor details in the timeline of events.
Greg says that when he writes he thinks in words, not pictures, so it is likely that he didn’t have a picture in mind of Lariska when writing about her, and that includes her size.
When he wrote that Lariska was toa-sized was in an answer to a petition to canonize the Matoran build behind Spiriah as Lariska, whereas the more recent was a direct answer to the question “What size is Lariska relative to a Toa?”
I get your point:
Premise1: Greg says Lariska is toa sized
Premise2: 8 years after he says her size is unspecified
Premise3: Greg says that any contradiction due to oblivion doesn’t count.
Conclusion1: The older post has more power than the later
Conclusion2: Lariska is toa sized and Greg forgot it.
What I’m arguing is that Lariska size is not fully determined. We should take Greg posts more critically and see beyond the lines. The fact that he forgot the size of one of her greatest characters means that it was not important in the first place.
I totally agree with this statement. TTV didn’t impose a size limit with Helryx who IS a Toa. The thing is that in voting what matters the most is to follow the canon. That’s why the Helryx and Artahka MOCs that ended up winning did it. Artahka was exactly the size he was supposed to be and had the exact same color scheme he was suggested to be. You get my point? It doesn’t matter if one titan sized Lariska MOC is ultimately Toa sized in canon as much as 2008 Takanuva is canonically only slightly larger than Lewa. In the contest Toa-sized Lariskas will have an advantage based on a canon element that is not on a book or serial, but on a post that was contradicted about a fact that was irrelevant to the story and does not break any internal logic if not followed.
Even then I might argue that the most feared Dark Hunter being toa sized does sort of mess with the internal logic as most Dark Hunters are bigger than Toa, and Lariska doesn’t have any power or title like Shadow Stealer that justify her status. She is fast and agile and lethal with weapons but ask a ninja if he could take on a sumo champion with armor, super-strength and heat vision. But that’s my personal opinion and the reason why my Lariska is titan sized. If others argue that she being Toa sized makes her more stealthy and all it’s okay with me. But that’s a personal opinion as well.
My big issue with the size of that MOC wasn’t even the canonical basis, because it’s already canon that she’s the size of a Toa. It’s that, displayed next to the characters she interacted with most - Nidhiki, Toa Lhikan, and Hakann - she’d be way out of scale.
Well, she also interacted with Brutaka, Roodaka and all her fellow gigantic Dark Hunters when she had to play their baby-sitter because daddy Shadowed One left the house.
But not the size of the set, if I’m not mistaken, Pohatu said that Takanuva grew some inches, and it was only wen they were standing in the codrex that he found out, so it wasn’t very apparent. Actually, what got Pohatu’s attention in the first place was his color change. But we’re getting off road, aren’t we?
I can legit see the argument for both sides on Lariska’s size. It would be cool to have her be in-scale with Inika, but having the freedom that a larger size could grant could lead to a really, really nice MOC. As stated before: size of set =/= size of character so long as Axonn exists.
IMO, maybe this is legit a case where “letting the polls decide” could be good. If people want a toa-size Lariska, then one will win the polls. Maybe mandating that her height be stated, or shown in-proportion to existing sets, could be a thing.
That being said, I’d also not contest a toa-size mandate too hard. I can also see my perspective having space to evolve on this one.
EDIT: you know, also going to throw out my idea of basically having an (extremely unofficial, non-binding) strawpoll to gauge where the community actually stands on topics like this. All the people in this topic are vocal, but we aren’t numerous, or necessarily representative.
Although I think Lariska will be as close to the size of Toa as possible (even if my Lariska is 3 stud taller than mahri nuparu).
To be honest, it’s not really important in lore
Someone thinks Lariska has digitigrade leg, and someone sees her as having a slizer head…
It’s just a difference in perspective.
i don’t think size restrictions is necessary because no specific appearance has appeared in the story.
Of course, if necessary, in my case, i can reduce her height as much as possible.
That being said, I’m more inclined to vote for a Lariska that is still in the typical size scale to a Toa, regardless of contest rules and the set=/=canon scaling differences.
I mean, technically Tuyet could be any size and still be Toa Sized, because she is a Toa.
Like Jerm said, I don’t think there will be any restrictions on size for future contests. Lariska, Tuyet, Marendar, all have canon heights, but the moc doesn’t have to necessarily reflect that.
(Side note: that picture of the Tahtorak always bothered me because it’s just the standing pose drawn at an angle. It’s supposed to be the Tahtorak climbing up through the street, but it looks like a Tahtorak statue falling through the street instead)
It was in this moment when I realized I have read Tuyet’s name too many times in the last two months, and I think I may need to figure out how to cleanse my brain of this whole experience lol.
You aren’t wrong about sets not always being in scale with each other, but why would you single out Axonn specifically? Isn’t he Inika-scale? I know Lego switched up the scales between the years, but all the sets/models in one year should be in scale with each other unless otherwise stated (like the Toa Mata Nui set, or the Tahtorak model).
I don’t see why Lariska’s height needs to be a big deal. We’ve known every character’s height (or at least approximate size) so far (and that of all future contest characters), and there wasn’t any controversy about scale. Why is it suddenly a rule-requiring issue now?
I didn’t know this, but apparently there’s actually specific information about Axonn’s height. He is roughly 9 feet tall, maybe a little taller based on how Greg worded his answer:
However, I don’t think that really proves that the set is out of scale. If we assume that Toa Jaller Inika is exactly 7.2 feet tall, then the Axonn set scales to be ~9’3" tall, or ~8’9" without his mask. That’s right around Greg’s answer.
(Interestingly, though, the Brutaka set scales to over 12 feet. I guess Greg did say “probably”.)
I used to defend my former moc with the same statement, but ever since I’ve taken that apart I no longer care about either the character or how her size will be handled by the contest. It would be the most reasonable to have her scale roughly with Hakann or Lhikan, so either the 2004 set scale or the 2006 one. also Roodaka in scale compared to a metru or a hordika makes her to be taller than Brutaka on the logic or the titans’ heights are in scale with the canister sets, except when they are confirmed otherwise
