Hey Greg,
If a few years down the line LEGO cancelled/handed down to another author one of the lines you were writing stories for and gave the OK to bring back BIONICLE, would you continue writing for BIONICLE?
I hope you respond 
sas1303 wrote:Hi Greg I have a few questions for you.
1. Was Ninjago originally going to be replaced by Chima?
2. If you brought BIONICLE back what would you like the theme to be?
3. Did you want to keep the BIONICLE story line going?
4. Who was your favorite character in BIONICLE?
5. Which do you prefer, Hero Factory or BIONICLE?
6. Is there a way to find any of your BIONICLE stories on the Internet?
Thank you for your time.
1) I wouldn't say that, no. Ninjago was planned from the beginning to be a three-year line. It's being extended because it ended up being so successful.
2) No idea, haven't thought about it
3) Of course
4) Too many to list
5) They both have merits. A lot of people I see dislike Hero Factory because they think it caused BIONICLE's cancellation, which is not true. HF wasn't even created until the decision had been made about BIONICLE
6) Not that I am aware of. I don't know if the comics are anyplace, and posting the novels online would be illegal.
acidicus24 wrote:Greg On the side papercutz there is already book 9 but there is very plot without the title and the cover. when will the title and the cover appear?
When a title is decided on and a cover is drawn.
nickvang_7_7_7 wrote:
nickvang_7_7_7 wrote:
ScribeGT6817 wrote:
nickvang_7_7_7 wrote:
1) Do you think it has enough weaknesses and limitations? 2) And do you think it would be logically for a mask like this to exist?I am a little confused by it. We already know that Matoran turn into what they think a Toa looks like, so I am not sure you need a mask to accomplish this.
Yeah, but what when a Toa sees other Toa which look completely different, starts to believe their appearances are true and possible and wants to look like them? Then the Mask of Variation/Appearance can change the Toa's appearance!
I rewrote the story, read it again, and you'll probably understant it:
Mask of Variation/Appearance: Whenever a Matoran transforms into a Toa by using a Toa stone, it will have the appearance that it believes a Toa should have. The Mask of Variation/Appearance enables a Toa that has started believing in other appearances a Toa could have, to change its current appearance as a Toa. However, the mask can’t change a Toa’s appearance as long as it believes its current appearance is the only appearance a Toa could have. A Toa Hordika, a Turaga and other changed Toa can be given a new appearance by changing the appearance the being had in its normal, pure Toa form. But it can't remove the mutations or make the being look like it isn't mutated at all. The mask can also change the appearance of masks (others and itself), as long as the wearer of the mask believes it still looks like an actual Kanohi mask. Please try again to answer my questions.
What benefit do you really get by looking like another type of Toa? It seems very specialized. I don't see how it would help in combat or to solve a Matoran problem, it seems like it's just about appearance.
zachary4801 wrote:
This is pretty cool! My question is: Why did you stop making LEGO Ningago? I am an older LEGO fan so I was not in to it. but I had some friends that were and they were bummed that it stopped. Also it was really successful. So I just don't understand why you stopped. One thing though is I have been hearing that there are new sets coming later. Is that true or is Ningago ningagone?
Thanks,
LEGO Freak
We didn't. Ninjago is back in 2014 with new sets and new TV episodes.
Isn't this kind of impractical? How would beings recognize a smile if the mouth's underneath? Is there a hole for their mouth instead of it being like a faceplate? Or is there a part of the mask that uses hinges and are connected to the wearer's mouth? We've heard plenty times that characters smile to each other in your books.
Also, by canon, is the muscle tissue on MU beings visible on their limbs, like they were in the movies? I think that would be sweet, and very cool
Also, I was wondering, what is canon? The head backpieces being colored and/or like crystal? Or are they metallic? I know it was made like this so that you can make the figures' eyes light up if you hold it up against lamps or the sun, but I always wondered about it, since it's also used in the comics...And lastly, what ending is canon? Takanuva getting out before getting crushed by the gate in Makuta Teridax's lair? Or him being brought back during that ceremony thing just outside the gate? In Hapka's Mask of Light novelization the former ending is used, but in the film it's the other one. I was wondering how did that ceremony even work? Magic? Lifeforce imprinted in the Avohkii...?
Simple answer. The novels had to work within the reality of the movies, because the book series included movie novelizations. But if you look at the comics, you never see facial expressions on the characters.
I alway saw the tissue as being visible to some extent, myself.
I believe the headpieces' set look was canon.
Film ending is canon. Cathy's book was based on an earlier version of the script. And we don't have magic in BIONICLE.
mattbrick2001 wrote:Hi Greg, I am exited to talk to you.
Here is my question.
What inspired the BIONICLE book series?
Thank you.
The line as a whole.
Winxclubgirl3748 wrote:Why did you stop making Bionice novels?
The book line stopped because the toy line was cancelled. With something like this, the toys are a huge marketing vehicle for the books -- they keep fans excited about the line. With no toys on shelf, book sales would have plummeted, so there was no point in continuing to do it. Also, the books existed to promote awareness of the sets/characters, which was no longer necessary if you are not selling sets anymore.
GoldNinjaM wrote:
Greg Farshtey, where do you live? Can you sign my Ninjago?
I don't really do autograph stuff anymore, because legally I am not supposed to be able to collect names/addresses from online fans.
bioniclefanone wrote:
Do you wish that you could write darker stories like you did in Bionicle? You don't get to fully expand your writing abilities since you write stuff for a younger audience. Also someone wanted me to ask what the Golden Skinned being is doing?
I have done darker stuff .. but it is sort of like asking a football player if he would rather play baseball. If you write LEGO stuff, it isn't going to be that dark. If you want to write dark, you go write you own stuff that is not LEGO-related.
ironhide5111 wrote:What did it take to bacome a designer? And how did you come up with the ideas for Bioncle and Ninjago? (Love Ninjago by the way.)
WhiteAlligator wrote:Hi everyone -
Are you sitting down?
If not, grab a chair! We don't want anyone falling over when we tell you ...
The one, the only Greg Farshtey wants to chat with you!
That's right, the storytelling mind behind BIONICLE and Ninjago is here on the LMBs to answer your questions.
Please post your questions now! Greg will be visiting this topic to respond to you personally.
While participating in this topic please remember to ...
1. Stay on topic!
No spamming. No side conversations.
2. Be patient!
Greg will answer your questions as quickly as he can.
3. Have fun!
This is an awesome opportunity! Enjoy!!
Keep on build'in!
I'm not a designer, and I didn't create BIONICLE or Ninjago.
acidicus24 wrote:greg still tell me whether in 9 for book will appear nindroids?
I cannot discuss future story plans.
victor1995179 wrote:Hi Hi Greg ! We know that Bota Magna's biomechanical dinosaurs, and Baterra, among others, were supposed to be released as sets in 2010. Do you know if concept arts or prototypes of this canceled wave exist, and if so, can you show them to us ? Thanks in advance, and thank you for the Bionicle story, that was great.
Actually, you don't know that. That story was an idea, it had not been approved by the story team yet. We were just about to discuss ideas for the 2010 movie when the line got cancelled.
my_legonetwork wrote:
my_legonetwork wrote:
I have a question for you. I'd like to know why you stopped Bionicle. It was a really good theme and was one of the best themes. In fact I am sitting next to someone who owns 100+ bionicle and was devastated to learn the the theme was discontinued and replaced. Did you stop it for story reasons or for market reasons?I won't ask now.
I have another question,
why is it that most of the story lines you make have a religious backround to them?
Sorry, no idea what you're talking about. I don't do stories with religious themes.
fighterlord wrote:Um, sorry if you already saw the fake interview I told you about, but what would the power-manifestations of Ba, Su, Fa, and Bo-Matoran be?
Can Glatorian or Agori use Kanohi in any way?
Should we expect Lesovikk's Toa team to be in the Red Star?
And did the Shadow Matoran of Karda Nui originally have the same masks before they were turned into Shadow Matoran?
Also, can you recall what you were originally planning for Velika to do in the serials before you stopped writing them?
1) Don't know
2) No
3) Probably
4) Unknown
5) I don't plan the story out ahead of time. I write it as it comes to me.