The Beginning of the New Chronicle (LEGO Ideas Project)

[ChubChub86]

It may not matter much but I will still make sure to support both of these.

[Bio_G3_Bringer]

I’m curious: let’s say Bionicle fans unite once again and all three mocs get 10k in… let’s say one week. And by some miracle, LEGO is choosing one of them- technic Tahu. Would designers be talented enough to turn it into something more proffesional without turning this moc into its system incarnation? LEGO always changes base project a bit. Sometimes more than a bit. But I believe, they are smart enough to know that by supporting technic project we expect l, well… a technic set at the end

[Lucasso_de_Luxor]

That’s actually really good question
I didn’t take into account that after the first wave of Hero Factory villains (Von Nebula, Rotor), we didn’t get any more advanced titans. Black Phantom and Fire Lord had many flaws, especially in terms of leg design, and the most praised set from Hero Factory by BIONICLE fans - Witch Doctor - was built in a somewhat messy way. It was supposedly due to how limited the CCBS building system was, but there was nothing to stop the Creative Team from reaching for Technic bricks when designing larger models. G2 didn’t had any titans except Umarak the Destroyer, who had a lot of holes, and later, Star Wars sets relied heavily on dedicated elements and prints. I’m not sure if the people who designed such works of art as Brutaka, Maxilos or Jetrax are still employed by LEGO, but I hope that people on the Creative Team still remember how titans were built in the days before CCBS was introduced.
After all, we’re still getting great LEGO Technic sets

[Toa_of_Yesterday_Day]

What about the G2 Makuta?

[Lucasso_de_Luxor]

I skipped Makuta because I’m not sure if its designer was a part of LEGO Creative Team or he was only a marketing guy who made a MOC. After all, Greg Farshtey and Christian Faber never were a set designers, and I think, the team responsible for all three Makuta designs (from which one has been chosen as a canon model) was rather a face of marketing. But I can be wrong. If you know more, correct me

[TheJerminator]

No, the JTO Makuta model definitely came from Lego set designers, albeit not necessarily the same team that made the G2 sets.

One of the set designers is here on the Boards, and commented on the reverse-engineering topic for the model years ago:

The "Let's build JtO Makuta" topic

Thanks man! Yeah, together with 2 friends/colleagues we created the model used for JTO. All 3 of us are massive fans from back in the G1 days and it has been humbling to work on it. I just wanted to prevent disappointment from people waiting for building instructions. However, if there is any area in specific people have trouble with, I can try and get some more pictures approved.

The "Let's build JtO Makuta" topic

I guess, this was bound to happen. : P I cannot. I can repeat what was said in the press release and stress that it has been a really hard decision for LEGO. I am not actually a part of the core BIONICLE team, I work in the LEGO Mindstorms department. I was borrowed from them to specifically make this model together with 2 colleagues, being a fans and all.

Some of the designers involved in the various Makuta builds are credited in this reupload of the Makuta Contest video:

Lego BIONICLE Makuta Contest Video

Also, the designers of the JTO model, specifically, are credited in these instructions:

[Album] Journey To One Makuta

[Lucasso_de_Luxor]

G2 Makuta has so weird history behind… Whole combiner without actual instruction stuff and the fact that we never got the most important mask, which started whole G2 storyline, it was probably one od the most frustrating LEGO’s decisions I had a chance to hear about.

[Bonks_Unite]

For me, still much more frustrating is the fact that Yesterday Quest and The Powers that Be webstories were never properly concluded. I can deal that story planned for 20 years long run ended after 10 years, but LEGO could at least let Greg finish what he already started.

[TheJerminator]

@Bonks_Unite

but LEGO could at least let Greg finish what he already started.

Lego was already doing that; the serials continued for a couple years after they ended everything else about the theme. The decision to put the stories on “hiatus” came from Greg. He eventually got too busy with writing Ninjago (and other Lego themes) and raising his first kid, so the Bionicle story he was writing for free in his spare time was the first thing to get cut from his schedule.

[Kanohi_Cantri]

I want to comment more, but I don’t know how else to better describe it. Cool! Awesome job, and good thoughtfulness.