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--- lb:mask.of.destiny [2025-04-30 17:27:13] – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
+++ lb:mask.of.destiny [2025-05-04 08:27:29] (current) – ninjasr
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+====== Mask of Destiny ======
+{{ img:b:r:mask-of-destiny.png?460 }} Mask of Destiny is a fan website and ‘federation’ of [[lb:bionicle]] fan creators. They started as a news site,((:fn:>Which is a half-guess on my side when I looked into what the Hell it was.)) but ended up inexplicably assimilating many other entities.
+{{tag>bionicle creators}}
+===== Personal Evaluation =====
+I'm gonna quickly note that I don't like Mask of Destiny due to their //obvious// ‘Social Justice’ leanings, though I'm not gonna get too much into specifics outside of noting that their writers express these views openly and they already demonstrated their [[https://www.maskofdestiny.com/news/what-is-the-spirit-forge|willingness]] to play [[https://www.maskofdestiny.com/news/statement-on-takua-64-developer-controversy|cop]].\\  Putting that aside, Mask of Destiny is also very arrogant. I cannot fathom how, but they've somehow convinced themselves that //they// are the center of the Bionicle fanbase. You can see that in the two examples above, where the language really indicates that.\\  Now...to play devil's advocate for a second...the reason they probably think they're the center of the Bionicle fanbase is because their little federation is composed of many of the biggest creators/projects. They even have some of those ‘big boys’ as affiliates, even if they aren't directly a part of Mask of Destiny.\\  Though it's notable that, for example, **TTV** is not affiliated with them...nor is **BZPower**. The latter is //the// Bionicle forum and the former is a big deal as well. And, well, they're affiliated with, for example, the **r/Bionicle** community...which, for those not in the know, is //**evil**//.\\  Let's move on from that to talk about the stuff they do that is actually **good**: The BioMedia Project. The BioMedia Project was initially separate from Mask of Destiny, but eventually got assimilated. They're currently getting absorbed into the main site. The BMP is an archive of Bionicle content, including everything from games to promotional material to internal design documents.\\  I'll briefly go over Litestone Studios and Team Kanohi. They're each working on a Bionicle fan game and...I realized that they may be direct competitors, so it's weird they're both in Mask of Destiny. Also, the former (Litestone) is //definitely// SocJus, though I'm not sure about the latter.((:fn:>By chance, I had stumbled upon the answer while on Twitter: yes, they are also //definitely// SocJus.)) The last thing that concerns me with these fan games is possible copyright infringement, though not enough to actually, y'know, worry. All that said...if the games are good, they're good. Though it's impossible to know for now.\\  Since I suddenly remembered this, I'll just say it here: Mask of Destiny's web design is pretty bad. Now, the main site is //okay// and some of their projects have //okay// designs as well...like, the BMP's new site is probably //better// than their old one, but not fantastic. Some are just awful, like the Spirit Forge. How does this happen?\\  Oh and their ‘UX’((:fn:>I don't really like the term, but it's for convenience sake.)) is pretty awful. For example, to access the new BMP site, you have to go to the old BMP site first, then go to the new one...instead of just having a link to the new one somewhere on the main site. Granted, you //can// just type it into the URL, but still. Here's a suggestion for them...instead of having the dumb triangle in the corner...just use a Gbar-like navigation between the projects. Look at [[https://vorapis.pages.dev/#/|YouTube Vorapis]] for inspiration if you don't know what that looks like.
+==== Wall of History ====
+This is what I was alluding to when I mentioned on the Bionicle article it's probably easier to get through the story now than it was before.\\  Wall of History collects all Bionicle story material and then presents it chronologically from beginning to end. And it doesn't just collect the novels, but the games as well.\\  Though...the guys working on it are of the same stripe as Mask of Destiny, which is perhaps unsurprising. And I know this because I was briefly in their Discord server, asking for a light mode, which they delivered on. So I've got mixed feelings.\\  I think the design of the site is //okay// but I also //hate// it because it just looks bad. The light mode that they added also just...doesn't look good. I'd redo it.\\  The other issue is something you may have spotted...the information is presented //chronologically// by default. This means that novels will be spliced together to show the stuff chronologically. Though I'm pretty sure this can be adjusted in the settings, I //know// this is the default configuration.\\  It's probably just ‘bonkle-brain’ that has corrupted their mind to think this is a good idea...though it obviously is //not// a good idea to splice all of this together in a chronological fashion.
+==== Myths and Legacy ====
+Myths and Legacy is a collection of fanfiction, basically. In my experience...not great. To be fair, I only read like...2? and I don't remember them.((:fn:>Although I tend to take the lack of memory as a sign that it wasn't very good.)) Comparatively, I think <abbr>RSG [Red Star Games]</abbr> has higher-quality fiction.\\  Also, it uses the same interface as Wall of History...but excludes a light mode for some reason. It's the same interface...why the Hell does it not have the light mode?
+==== The Great Archives ====
+‘The Great Archives’ is something I don't understand the point of. On the surface, it looks to be a Bionicle encyclopedia...so it's a direct competitor to BIONICLEsector01...which is an affiliate of Mask of Destiny. Though unlike Bs01, it's more closed down and curated, which is a plus or minus depending on your perspective.\\  This encyclopedia also includes a timeline, which I think is overly detailed((:fn:>I guess it depends on your point of view, but there's just...a lot there. This is actually something I //hate// about fan-run wikis, actually, because they go way too crazy with this kind of stuff. Though Bionicle's fanbase might be especially crazy.)) and an archive of Greg Farshtey's online comments. That archive of comments is actually pretty useful, though I don't think the rest of it has a point.\\  Now, I think this is largely unnecessary because, get this, Bs01 already exists...so why re-invent the wheel? I haven't been able to find any reasonable justification for their existence on the website.\\  Further, they belong to the group of fans I disaffectionately call ‘Greg Worshippers’ who take Greg Farshtey's words as gospel which is...//cringe//.\\  For those who created it...or are just reading this I guess...: there isn't a Bionicle-style [[lb:evawiki]]...so why not make that instead?
+==== The Spirit Forge ====
+The Spirit Forge is a sub-site of Mask of Destiny which collects instructions for ‘new sets’ created by Mask of Destiny. The purpose of this is to give Bionicle fans ‘new sets’ to play with considering LEGO isn't releasing any.\\  That said...well, let me explain my understanding. When the Spirit Forge was first introduced((:fn:>Coincidentally, I already used that news update as an example. So, [[https://www.maskofdestiny.com/news/what-is-the-spirit-forge|here]] it is again.)) my understanding was that they'd be releasing ‘waves’ semi-regularly and each wave would include a number of new sets. On top of that, the Spirit Forge came around the same time they introduced the Tryna Initiative, which I'll detail later, but to sum it up for now...also a promise to deliver //new sets//. The first wave included 11 new sets...but then the second wave included two groups of clone sets.\\  The first wave was actually pretty cool and, dare I say it, //got me **excited**// for what was to come next. I actually want to build some of those. This first wave is great because it gives us instructions for many of the Rahi we saw, or heard about, but never got instructions for. An extra reason that I, personally, liked this wave was that we got more Rahi, which Bionicle stopped providing at some point because PLOT.\\  However, the second wave is where this excitement quickly diminished. The second wave is made up of two groups: Rahkshi and Matoran. Now...let's remember that the first wave included 11 //unique// sets and now we're given two groups of clone sets? Really?\\  The Matoran feel insulting in particular, because it's not like those kinds of Matoran are difficult to make. The Rahkshi are slightly better, but we still have the issue of...well, I've perceived the Rahkshi to be the ‘Sonic OCs’ of the bonkle fanbase. Take that as you will.\\  Well, alright, the second wave wasn't that great, but they've surely gotten better since, right? No. The second wave - released in 2023 - was the last wave they've released, for now. This kinda goes against the promise they made, right? To keep providing new sets.\\  Now, we should keep in consideration that these are fans doing this, essentially, for free...so fair enough. Except that, unfortunately for them, they //kinda promised// to keep providing new sets semi-regularly and it's obvious this promise isn't being kept. Like, if you're gonna be all arrogant and do ‘Tryna Initiative lol’ you should at least stick to what you promised to do.\\  Though...considering the //kind// of people who are running Mask of Destiny, this really isn't that surprising. They((:fn:>//[[lb:SJW|ahem]]//)) are known to be criminally lazy.
+==== Tryna Initiative ====
+The Tryna Initiative is basically a promise made by Mask of Destiny, their members and some of their affiliates to archive old content (which they were already doing...) and create new content for Bionicle fans...y'know, do what LEGO isn't doing.\\  Personally, I think that the second point (new content) is a pointless pursuit unless they create their own Bionicle canon to maintain...which may be a death sentence since that would make it difficult to be that ‘center of the Bionicle community’ thing they want, but I don't care. It would make more sense to use the original canon as a foundation to build upon, rather than to keep expanding on it. Basically, treat the Bionicle stuff as a mythology to pilfer from.\\  Honestly, the Tryna Initiative just looks to me like Mask of Destiny's arrogance at play. Y'know, this ‘archive and create’ thing //for// Bionicle fans really makes it sound like they think of themselves as the center of the universe. Like, just think about it, what makes Mask of Destiny especially special in the fanfiction department compared to the rest of the Bonkle fanbase? Is it just that they also maintain the archives, giving them more legitimacy?\\  Actually, it's kinda funny that a member of the Tryna Initiative, [[lb:red.star.games|Red Star Games]], was at one point doing a better job than Mask of Destiny at this. RSG made their own canon, which they maintain through their own fiction (text, audio logs, videos)...and they also released table-top games set in that new continuity. They're also semi-regularly updating all of those. RSG is even selling custom Bionicle parts, which seems to be particularly successful.\\  And, to add onto that: RSG isn't claiming or implying they are the center of the Bionicle fanbase...or that their content is ‘greater’ than what the rest of that fanbase produces. Though...Red Star Games //is// part of the Tryna Initiative, so I guess you could make the argument that RSG //is// arguing that by extension.
+==== Conclusion ====
+In conclusion...Mask of Destiny are just kinda jerks. Stick to the good and ignore the bad.
+===== Trivilinks =====
+  * [[https://www.maskofdestiny.com|Website]]
+  * [[https://www.biomediaproject.com/|BioMedia Project]]