The Bio-Logical Build

The End

2010-01-20T00:29:00.002Z

I initially created this blog when I was deeply involved in the PLUG, and its initial goal was to do for Bionicle what TechnicBRICKs had done for Technic, creating a simple yet complex platform for LEGO fans to access and read on interesting builds and techniques using this line in particular. It seems that once more, I overestimated my capability to work on a project, and this blog never had more than 2 posts.

Now, Bionicle is going to disappear.

It will be replaced sure, but perhaps one of the reasons this blog never took flight was that for me Bionicle was not about the building. It was about the story. About a complex yet understandable story, with characters built out of LEGO, and with a huge and rich universe. It was a story that accompanied me across my teenage years, and two days ago, when I discovered that it was going to end, I found myself empty. It's like losing a long time friend. A friend which cultivated in me passions and habits that I'll never lose.

So, why did I post this? One last post in a forgotten blog? I think it was because shutting down a door is always a bad option if I do not leave something behind. A trail of breadcrumbs if you would. Something for a late RSS reader or a click on a forgotten signature in a forum somewhere to reveal. I can always hope.

I have more to say. Much, much more. But I don't think I can say it like this, all at once, nor properly. I've followed my example here, and now started a real blog. A blog meant for me to turn my life around and do for myself what Bionicle taught me:

Unity

Duty

Destiny

Getting a BIONICLE Face

2008-04-02T21:17:00.002+01:00

The following MOC is from the many times commonly know Jinzoningen. I would say this is one of the best examples there exists that shows a Bionicle construction in a truly seemingly biological and realistic way.

The details(best seen on the partway-through-building images) are both very well managed as well as carefully crafted. Special attention should be noted on the mouth(made from various Bohrok bodypieces), as wel as the sequential construction on the top of the head. Although one could argue that this construction is mainly made with Technic connectors and pieces, it's its special usage of specific pieces that give it a justfull classification as a Bionicle construction, having both the usual flowing look of such and the unusual interweaving. Details best viewed on the side view image that shows the way the mask follows the lines of the face and head.

Let's Talk about Fish

2008-03-30T23:30:00.003+01:00

Choosing to approach this from a simpler viewpoint, this time instead I'll just expose some pictures after the following explanation.

The idea for this display comes from the definition of Bionicle MOCs that I before gave as having more potential to be organic than most usual LEGO MOCs; as such, and also using the entries from the past BZPower Bionicle Based Creations Contest whose entries consisted mostly of aquatic creatures I chose to display what I think are some of the best executed of those as well as some others I have found(because doing this on mammals would have mad ethe post so much longer). Keep in mind that for such choice I did not led myself from the results, and instead chosed not the most impressive, but those that I believe that better portraied the biological simplicity and elegance of the normal aquatic lifeforms(because the number of fish I found ended up being too small). The decision was made purely on my own and I might have not found soem results which should be worth mentioning, so if anyone has one MOC that they would like to share, be my guest and just reply with the link(choice still applies though).

Brickshelf Folder

Brickshelf Folder

Brickshelf Folder

Brickshelf Folder

Brickshelf Folder

Brickshelf Folder

Brickshelf Folder

Brickshelf Folder

Huge and Complex

2008-03-26T23:12:00.003Z

What better way to start this blog, than a post of some grand and magnificent creations?

BIONICLE pieces usually work on a much larger scale than the usual system or technic pieces, while those latter can sometimes very easily be put togheter and fit into each other preety much like a compact monoblock, BIONICLE pieces(and bear in mind that here I do not include technic connectores, axles and others found in BIONICLE sets) occupy each one a different kind of space. Due to their variety fo shape and numbers, it's very hard for two or more peices to fit perfectly, making it so that compact structures are very difficult.

As such, the scale of BIONICLE constructions is usually very different from what a usual LEGO builder may expect, and sometimes that might be why soem people call BIONICLE uncriative. Because simply, to create a humanoid(for instance), you only usually need to snap the legs and feet togheter, do something for the torso and head, and you're done.

The thing is, that is what is just barely needed to be done, and not necessarily what can be done.

Take The Rack for instance, whose image is displayed. This MOC was made by Cajun, easily one of the best builders out there, already mentioned in Brickjournal, and also a member of MechaHub. To treat The Rack as simplsitic is impossible, to call it anything other than BIONICLE, is unthinkable.

In many ways, this MOC shows the scale on which BIONICLE works. On one side, there it is the huge black cave like structure, performed of hundreds of pieces together, and filled with curvilineous forms like the famous DNA chain, made out of hundreths of Onua's claws put together. On the other side, there is not an ounce on this MOC that can be called symplistic. Its whole structure as a figure, and each of tis finest details is made out of pieces that fill each gap and complement each other in ways that are hard for a usual MOCer to imagine.

This is the scale on which BIONICLE many times works best.

To show another example from Cajun, there it is for instance the Black Window, also many times mentioned in when talking about BIONICLE MOCs and complexity. Although the Window at the beginning seems neither huge nor complex, such opinions are easily overruled.

The head for instance, is made from a careful build of pieces that both increase stability and create the flowing organic look of a spider. Many of the angles here mentioned would have been impossible to achieve with a usual LEGO piece, but furthermore, many of the pieces in this MOC, could have been replaced by different pieces, just not used in exactly the same way. There it is no lack of complexity and yet, there it is no exclusive part in which something could not be invented(as opposed to a gearbox by instance, where each gear existence and placement compromises the design of the same).

Although I have already written quite a lengthy post, I can't finish this without introducing at least one more singular example of each of the specified characteristics.

As such, pontificating the characteristic of huge, I would like to draw the attentions to this MOC by Roa McToa, as well as the others in the same brickshelf folder. Although from observation teh truth is that no kind of special characteristics or any kind of unqiue techniques in construction seem to be visible, the first sight just gives us two little pieces of information:

It's Huge
It Works

The fact, is that the size of this MOC, completely uses the size restraints of the BIONICLE pieces to tis advantages. Perhaps from some kind of close scrutinity it may seem that the MOC is imperfect or flawed, but the truth is that as a whole, and as a huge whole, it is a perfect MOC, simply because it transpires what it's meant to transpire, and because it works with the pieces.

Finnaly, to relevate complexity, I chose this MOC by the same author, both for creating a easy comparizon and simply because it fits the definition.

It's big, that's true, but it's also in no way as huge or imposing as some of the previous MOCs, and in such a situation it's easy to evaluate it better. The cosntruction, although may seem random at first, is carefully executed. To use as an example the picture I linked to, I would like to drawn your eyes to the cente rof the MOC, to the area that's barely visible, but that can also be observed plenty off with care. It's easy to note that the numbe rof pieces and their arrangement is in no way trivial. ALthough there is no doubt that such a method of construction could be replaced by other equivalent, there also is evident the level of complexity of such a cosntruction to create the specific flowing effect related to this MOC, and to nto only give it a good look, but also to create a real and biological look.

And as such I end this study, promising that the following posts are going to be more succint and objective.

The Bio-Logical Opening

2008-03-26T19:01:00.002Z

It is then with this post that I start this blog.

This blog, is the product of some time of thinking and evaluation upon regarding the effect of the TechnicBRICKs blog(mainly), and others that are becoming more and more relevant on the LEGO comunity. But, departing from mainly the themes of all of those before, this blog is meant to work on a different level. The BIONICLE line.

Although this LEGO line of construction has been in existence since 2001, and some of its main pieces and principles since before, it is still meant with a large opposition by the main AFOL community of the world, seeing that it is many time entitled as 'basic' and 'childish'. As such, the porpuse of this blog, is not to focus so much on the BIONICLE storyline, but instead on the constructions and techniques that are sometimes overlooked in the evaluation of such a line.

It is from this concept, and from the concept of biological constructions that this blog is formed. It's name, 'The Bio-Logical Build', relates both to that and the origin of the BIONICLE name(BIOlogical chroNICLE), with the purpose of just that; being able to demonstrate and elaborate on the various details of the BIONICLE line potencial, and reveal the details and potencials that only this line can translate in terms of constructions.

As such, here it begins.