In part one, we focused on the designers themselves. Now we move into the sets. In the second of a multi-part series, webmaster Kelly McKiernan sits down with the designers and talks turkey.

Designers:
JD: Jeffrey Alan Davies
EF: Esben Fl�e
MTJ: Michael T. Jeppesen
LT: Lars Thygesen
JV: Jes Vestergaard
CR: Christoph R�ttjer
CR2: Christoffer Raundahl
AS: Andre Sang-Tae Stenbryggen

Moderator:
KM: Kelly McKiernan

ABOUT SETS

Question: What's up with the Toa changing size over the years?

Answers:

• JD: Growing older.
• CR2: Getting more for the money. It's a part of changing them, so you're not getting the same thing every time.
• MTJ: Maybe you're just shrinking.
• CR2: Without costing too much, we got the parts to be bigger, and we wanted to give a maximum value.
• MTJ: For posability, with upper and lower leg parts, and upper/lower arm parts.

Question: Are the designs for Glatorians based off Roman Gladiators?

Answers:

• CR2: Actually not, but the name is
• LT: We're inspired by Gladiators, but not based on it
• JD: Definitely inspired

Question: Why are the female sets so� unfeminine?

Answers:

• CR2: We want the characters to appeal for a broad audience.
• JD: If you want them to look like girls, play with (popular doll name removed).
• MTJ: What do you mean they don't look like women?
• JV: Wait and see.

Question: Why has the same Toa torso design (basically since the Inika) been used so much? Why haven't there been new types of bodies released?

Answers:

• JD: Because it's (bleep) good!
• CR2: Guess who made it, JEFFREY?
• CR2: we're building a BIONICLE system, so of course we reuse parts that work.
• JD: It's like having a 2x4 brick.
• EF: We do have a limit of how many new elements we can make.
• JD: Piraka torsos are awfully nice as well�
• EF: We have to prioritize the types of new elements we use, from torsos or weapons or masks
• LT: It's also about the LEGO method of using parts for different things

Question: Why do the 2009 small sets use the same basic design as the 2008 Matoran sets?

Answers:

• See Above.

Question: Why were the Inika so drastically different from sets before them?

Answers:

• CR2: To do something new.
• MTJ: We got bored.
• JD: Slightly easier to build, posability was better.
• EF: Some sets before that were more difficult to build, especially for MOCs

Question: Why have gears and functions disappeared from the Toa sets?

Answers:

• CR2: Posability, hard to build for younger kids
• LT: In the bigger models, they're still there, and will probably still be there
• CR2: We used to be LEGO Technic, which was how we started, and they had functions

Question: Will the 2009 sets have masks or simply heads or helmets?

Answers:

• All: Yes.
• MTJ: We'd answer but we'd have to hunt you down. (It's a secret.)

Question: Which comes first, the launcher or the projectile?

Answers:

• CR2: Egg or chicken?
• LT: Projectile?
• MTJ: The other one!
• JD: The safety test.
• MTJ: Safety comes first.

Question: Why aren't there more System pieces in BIONICLE?

Answers:

• CR2: It's just BIONICLE.
• EF: Because it's a Technic system
• MTJ: We don't like studs.
• LT: We don't like them falling apart.
• CR2: That's actually a good answer. These are action figures, and the Technic system with the ball joint lets you play more roughly with it.
• CR2: It's up to fans like you to build in the System parts if you want.
• EF: We don't want to dictate how kids should build it; we have our own limitations, but it shouldn't limit you.

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