Legos, anyone?

[M'Kyuun]

As an AFOL who's been privileged to attend large LEGO conventions in Seattle and Portland, I've seen my share of large ornate MOCs. That said, this is an extraordinarily impressive display. I can't imagine the investment of time, money, brick, and other resources (lights, stickers, etc) he put into this, not to mention the painstaking research to try and nail all the details. Wonderful job. Love the wall detail in Snoke's holo-throne room.  Just so much detail and personal flare thrown in everywhere.😍 I fervently hope he brings this to BrickCon in October; I'd love to salivate over it in person, and offer a well deserved tipping of the hat to the builder.

I wish LEGO's official Troop carrier from TFA had looked nearly as good as his. It definitely wasn't the most inspired ship, looking more akin to a flying shoebox, but his MOC makes it look much better to my eyes than it even looked in the film.  The greatest missing element of the sequels was George's incredible imagination for ships and such; he may not write good dialog, but the guy's a visual genius, and the blandness and general lack of originality in the vehicles was remarkable for a series notable for its incredible designs over the years.

[M'Kyuun]

New UCS Tumbler coming.  I have the original, and this doesn't really improve on it significantly, so I'm going to pass on it. It would have been nice if they could have given it working steering as a minimum upgrade from the original set.

On the heels of the UCS set, there's a new System set coming as well, and it looks to be a great improvement on previous Tumbler sets. This is also the first time we get a Dark Knight Trilogy Scarecrow fig. It would have been nice to get a regular Dr. Crane head with a mask piece that fits over, rather than just a printed head piece, but at least it's a new character besides Bane and the Joker. I'm looking very much forward to adding this to my growing Batmobile collection.😍

For comparison, here's the System Tumbler from 2008 (set 7888-1). The back tires were more accurate on the older set, but everything else is an improvement on the new set.

This is  The Bat vs Bane: Tumbler Chase (76001-1) from 2013, which gave us a much simpler, and camo colored Tumbler.  I thought it was a fun set, but yeah that Tumbler was a really simple design. So was The Bat, for that matter.

Edited September 1, 2021 by M'Kyuun

[Tking22]

I skipped the first UCS Tumbler, won't be making that mistake again, this is absolutely bought. 

[danth]

I hate that Marvel, DC, SW and Harry Potter have all become "evergreen" themes for Lego. Seems like they'll release sets for those licenses no matter when the last movie was made or how bad the movies get or how many times they've release a very similar set. And if they release every vehicle or playset they can think of, instead of moving on to other themes, they'll just get meta and release sets where you build a large minifig out of Legos. Seriously:

Lego has really changed. It's all about licenses now, and that's it. No alt builds, no building your own worlds, just endless rehashes of the same licenses.

Hell even some of the city sets this year are slightly changed re-releases of previous sets. It's weird.

I guess you can say they've gotten extremely creative with how to scrape the barrel on licenses, with the above as an example. I mean I'd buy one of those if it was a classic Space or Castle figure.

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by danth

[mark-1s]

Personally I'd love if Lego just dropped all the licenses all together; maybe it would bring down their prices a bit (wishful thinking, I know.) However that seems to be their bread and butter so no chance in hell that's going to happen.  

I would really like to see a modern take on any of the classic space sets myself.

 

[M'Kyuun]

2 hours ago, mark-1s said:

I would really like to see a modern take on any of the classic space sets myself.

 

There are a lot of us who'd like to see that, but LEGO seems strangely and stubbornly reluctant. They've touched on Pirates and Castle with some recent Creator sets, as well as the IDEAS Pirates of Barricuda Bay, which is an excellent homage to old school Pirates. We got Benny's Spaceship and a much, much smaller CS inspired spaceship from the second LEGO Movie, but otherwise nada. FWIW, it doesn't even need to be straight up blue and gray Classic Space; I just want them to make their own space themes again. The last original Space theme was Galaxy Squad in 2013, marking the longest period in which LEGO hasn't produced an original Space theme. 

Classic Space still holds its appeal, though, at least among us older fans. Go to a LEGO convention, and you're almost assured to see something Classic Space inspired. In this case, I mean all Space themes into the late 90s, although at this point, even Life on Mars is old enough to be considered classic as well. Peruse Flickr for any period of time, and again, you'll find MOC after MOC homaging Classic Space. What's puzzling about this is that LEGO is aware of the continued interest in the theme, at least among the adult and YA crowd, as many of the set designers came out of the AFOL community and themselves were building and posting CS MOCs. So why won't they make their own space themes. I don't buy the argument that it would hurt Star Wars: SW is a money-making juggernaut, and with all the new programming keeping it fresh, especially The Mandalorian, it'll chug along just fine.  I don't know, but it's a question I'd love to ask LEGO, along with why won't they make some stronger, more versatile joints for larger mecha/creature builds?  They've been using the same ratcheting joint system since 2004 with little in the way of upgrades, as well as the AT-AT leg joints which have been in use since 2003, again without updates or advancements.  It's most vexing.

[no3Ljm]

I guess they're just trying to earn a lot for paying those licenses.

Lego is the new Hot Toys. (Monetizing on what's the current "in".) 

 

[danth]

37 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

I don't buy the argument that it would hurt Star Wars: SW is a money-making juggernaut, and with all the new programming keeping it fresh, especially The Mandalorian, it'll chug along just fine.  I don't know, but it's a question I'd love to ask LEGO, along with why won't they make some stronger, more versatile joints for larger mecha/creature builds?

 

I suspect there is a legal/contractual issue with Disney. It would explain some of the weirder things we've seen.

Like Benny's Space Squad, which if you look carefully at the box art, is portrayed as a group of people on a mechanical surface -- not technically on another planet.

Same with the Emmet & Benny Build and Fix Workshop, which is clearly on Earth.

And then you have the new creator Mech which IS on an alien planet but doesn't have a minifig/human operator (???).

And the creator Cyber Drone which has a Space minifig, but it's a Robot for some reason, and is shown above a futuristic city, not in space or another planet.

It seems very clear to me that Lego is tip-toeing around very specific contract language here. Disney says no sci-fi sets with human/minifigs on another planet unless it's Star Wars.

Edited September 2, 2021 by danth

[M'Kyuun]

4 hours ago, danth said:

 

I suspect there is a legal/contractual issue with Disney. It would explain some of the weirder things we've seen.

Like Benny's Space Squad, which if you look carefully at the box art, is portrayed as a group of people on a mechanical surface -- not technically on another planet.

Same with the Emmet & Benny Build and Fix Workshop, which is clearly on Earth.

And then you have the new creator Mech which IS on an alien planet but doesn't have a minifig/human operator (???).

And the creator Cyber Drone which has a Space minifig, but it's a Robot for some reason, and is shown above a futuristic city, not in space or another planet.

It seems very clear to me that Lego is tip-toeing around very specific contract language here. Disney says no sci-fi sets with human/minifigs on another planet unless it's Star Wars.

Good eye, Detective Danth! I never noticed, but having it pointed out, there's merit to your theory. More to the point, none of these are shown in actual space. The starry background is the closest we get to being in space in any of those. Not even the recent Shuttle Discovery set is set in space. Suspicious.  If Disney is really dictating to a toy company that none of their products, even those that are space related, can be shown in space in order to maintain a monopoly on that environment, that seems terribly desperate, insecure, and wrong.  But it makes sense, if such is the case, why LEGO won't even bother making their own space sets anymore. What's the point when this licensee dictates what environments you can and can't use in your product? But those licenses make them a lot of money with all the tie-ins, likely far more than they made from home grown space themes, so they're going to stick with what fetches profits, even if it means ditching one of the major themes that made them successful in the first place, and still warms the hearts of millions of LEGO fans.

Money's nice, but it's not the end-all, even for a business. I'm glad they're successful, as it means more parts and lots of larger, more complex sets are possible. But to acquiesce, if that is indeed what they're doing, to another company's self-serving demands at the expense of their own traditional themes, I'd have to tell them in no uncertain terms to go f##k themselves and have a merry day. Personally, I think LEGO could get by without Disney, although I'm sure they'd see the difference in their bottom line. But, maybe it would force them to get back to what made LEGO so special in the first place: creativity, originality, and imagination.

[Tking22]

Lego UCS Tumbler pre-ordered, now the wait. I'm also in for that scaled down Disney Castle, my girlfriend has always been interested in the big expensive one but isn't a fan of the price or size, this one works, I'll grab it for her when orders go up, early Christmas shopping for the win. 

[danth]

Rumor is that there will be a Creator Viking Ship in 2002. Good news for AFOLs and the idea of Classic-Themed Creator Sets.

Bad news for Space fans since we have to wonder why Space has been passed up yet again. See my post above for my theory. 😒

[Chronocidal]

2 hours ago, danth said:

Rumor is that there will be a Creator Viking Ship in 2002. Good news for AFOLs and the idea of Classic-Themed Creator Sets.

Bad news for Space fans since we have to wonder why Space has been passed up yet again. See my post above for my theory. 😒

Honestly, I think they're just coming from the position of "Star Wars is our 'space' theme for now."  Whether Disney is stipulating that in contract language is kind of irrelevant.  I'm pretty sure there have been other space-themed sets since the license started, but it would not surprise me in the slightest if they sold horribly in comparison, and LEGO just decided they weren't worth the effort.

[M'Kyuun]

They keep touching on space via a  number of Creator sets, but no new themes or series of sets for the last seven years. Star Wars is good, and I'm glad they have the license, and I like a lot of what they've done with it over the years; however, it can tend to become a little dull, and it'd be nice to have a space theme that's not Star Wars at least every few years to break up the monotony, or should I say monopoly.

I also wish they'd do an Exo-Force 2.0 with better mecha designs, something akin to Zane's Titan Mech Battle. The designer is a huge fan of Gurren Lagann. He also worked on the IDEAS Voltron set, IIRC. Imagine a whole theme of mecha done this well. 😍

[Scyla]

New Lego Mario set: 

 

[mark-1s]

/\/\/\/\/\/\

I know I shouldn't be surprised, but 200 BUCKS!!!!   My son would love it though.

[danth]

18 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Honestly, I think they're just coming from the position of "Star Wars is our 'space' theme for now."  Whether Disney is stipulating that in contract language is kind of irrelevant.  I'm pretty sure there have been other space-themed sets since the license started, but it would not surprise me in the slightest if they sold horribly in comparison, and LEGO just decided they weren't worth the effort.

For now, and for all time, apparently!

But did you actually look at the pics I posted? Surprised someone can see all that and just say "Nah, nothing to see here. Must be something else."

I agree that SW is basically their Sci Fi space theme, and good look getting a non-licensed Space theme to sell like SW, but they've also been doing tributes to old themes in Creator Sets, and Space is conspicuously absent there.

I think it's probably just not worth it to upset Disney when they can rake in SW money. Combined with whatever their license agreement says.

Edited September 9, 2021 by danth

[Chronocidal]

2 hours ago, danth said:

For now, and for all time, apparently!

But did you actually look at the pics I posted? Surprised someone can see all that and just say "Nah, nothing to see here. Must be something else."

Looked at all the pics, and sure, contract language is stupidly precise and specific, but I think trying to determine what the contract's stipulations are based on whether or not another planet is pictured in box art is just trying to dig deeper than it's worth.  It's the 50,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that, once completed, produces a big flashing neon sign saying "GO OUTSIDE."  

From the consumer end, it doesn't matter what the contract says, what figures the sets contain, or what the box art shows, because we're going to get what the company decides to release, and no amount of pushpin and yarn theorycrafting is going to change that.

I'm also pretty okay with that, because that's why LEGO bricks are awesome.  We can just built what we want anyway.  

Edited September 9, 2021 by Chronocidal

[danth]

4 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Looked at all the pics, and sure, contract language is stupidly precise and specific, but I think trying to determine what the contract's stipulations are based on whether or not another planet is pictured in box art is just trying to dig deeper than it's worth.  It's the 50,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that, once completed, produces a big flashing neon sign saying "GO OUTSIDE."  

From the consumer end, it doesn't matter what the contract says, what figures the sets contain, or what the box art shows, because we're going to get what the company decides to release, and no amount of pushpin and yarn theorycrafting is going to change that.

I'm also pretty okay with that, because that's why LEGO bricks are awesome.  We can just built what we want anyway.  

Outside? *Hiss*

Well, I'm borderline obsessive about Classic Space and sort of constructed this hypothesis subconsciously so...I guess my point is: I have an excuse...

Also, who am I going to share these stupid theories with? My wife? Ha!

I'm working on a MOC that I hope to share soon. But damn if it isn't nice to be able to buy a Lego set of something you like and just put it together. For me, MOCs don't replace sets, and vice versa.

[M'Kyuun]

19 minutes ago, danth said:

Outside? *Hiss*

Well, I'm borderline obsessive about Classic Space and sort of constructed this hypothesis subconsciously so...I guess my point is: I have an excuse...

Also, who am I going to share these stupid theories with? My wife? Ha!

I'm working on a MOC that I hope to share soon. But damn if it isn't nice to be able to buy a Lego set of something you like and just put it together. For me, MOCs don't replace sets, and vice versa.

I empathize with you on pretty much everything you said here. I don't consider myself obsessive about Classic Space, although having grown up with it, I'm quite fond of it, and have a small but nice collection of CS sets which I treasure.  My wife couldn't care less, either; MW is my sounding board for all my hobbies, and sad to say, about 98% of my social life.  MOCs are great, but I agree; there's a joy to be had when you can relax your brain, put on some music/tv, and just follow some instructions resulting in a finished model that's appealing to you. 

And yeah, going outside sucks- all the fun stuff is in the house.😄

[Chronocidal]

1 hour ago, danth said:

Outside? *Hiss*

 

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

And yeah, going outside sucks- all the fun stuff is in the house.😄

Can't argue there, especially in this day and age.  

I grew up with very few of the original Classic Space sets before everything moved to.. I think it was the "Futuron" and "Blacktron" or however it was termed then, followed by the original Space Police line, Magnetron, Ice Planet, etc.. I never had the ability to collect most of those, I just remember drooling over the designs, and using them for inspiration.

I'd love to be able to go back and buy them all up now, but my LEGO collection has fallen to about third or fourth in line on my hobby expenditure priority list.  

[M'Kyuun]

45 minutes ago, Chronocidal said:

 

Can't argue there, especially in this day and age.  

I grew up with very few of the original Classic Space sets before everything moved to.. I think it was the "Futuron" and "Blacktron" or however it was termed then, followed by the original Space Police line, Magnetron, Ice Planet, etc.. I never had the ability to collect most of those, I just remember drooling over the designs, and using them for inspiration.

I'd love to be able to go back and buy them all up now, but my LEGO collection has fallen to about third or fourth in line on my hobby expenditure priority list.  

Just to put my frame of reference in perspective, I was already becoming a LEGO fan before the minifig was invented. I got my first LEGO set when I was about 5, and my dad built it for me. But I soon started building my own things thereafter. No prodigy was I, and the things I built at that point were unmentionable, but the seed had been sown, much to my dad's everlasting regret, I think. Anyway, Classic Space and Classic Town came out about four years later in the US, and in the following years I managed a small collection of CS ,Town, and Blacktron sets before I graduated and went off to the military, where I continued to acquire the odd Space themed set here and there throughout the 90s into the new millennium. I was a very frugal buyer of LEGO until my wife started encouraging me in the mid 2000s to buy the sets I liked rather than passing them up and regretting it later, as I often regretted not picking up any number of sets over the years before I met her. nearly twenty years later, I've acquired  quite a lot of LEGO, and they keep making more. Now the 'space' I require is that necessary for storage! Kidding aside, I love LEGO's Space themes, and while I'm glad they have Star Wars, I'd like to see original space stuff on the shelves, too. Doing their own thing allows them to expand the possibilities beyond the confines of an IP, and that was a huge part of its charm.

LEGO and Transformers remain the pinnacles of my collecting, and probably shall until I'm pushing daisies or they stop making them.

[mark-1s]

Early review:

It's actually got some really cool hidden features too.

 

 

[rsvictor1976]

On 8/31/2021 at 10:13 PM, M'Kyuun said:

New UCS Tumbler coming.  I have the original, and this doesn't really improve on it significantly, so I'm going to pass on it. It would have been nice if they could have given it working steering as a minimum upgrade from the original set.

On the heels of the UCS set, there's a new System set coming as well, and it looks to be a great improvement on previous Tumbler sets. This is also the first time we get a Dark Knight Trilogy Scarecrow fig. It would have been nice to get a regular Dr. Crane head with a mask piece that fits over, rather than just a printed head piece, but at least it's a new character besides Bane and the Joker. I'm looking very much forward to adding this to my growing Batmobile collection.😍

For comparison, here's the System Tumbler from 2008 (set 7888-1). The back tires were more accurate on the older set, but everything else is an improvement on the new set.

This is  The Bat vs Bane: Tumbler Chase (76001-1) from 2013, which gave us a much simpler, and camo colored Tumbler.  I thought it was a fun set, but yeah that Tumbler was a really simple design. So was The Bat, for that matter.

I have the old Tumbler set too and will be skipping the new set. I like the front side panelling on the older set but the rear tires and turn table on the new set is nice.

I'm really hoping that the rumors of a UCS AT-AT are true though. That would be my holy grail of LEGO sets, even more so than the UCS Milennium Falcon.

[M'Kyuun]

8 minutes ago, rsvictor1976 said:

I'm really hoping that the rumors of a UCS AT-AT are true though. That would be my holy grail of LEGO sets, even more so than the UCS Milennium Falcon.

Likewise. A UCS AT-AT has been number one on my Star Wars want list since they acquired the license in '99.  If it is indeed coming, I'm trying to temper my expectations, as I doubt it'll have any articulation, except maybe a little head swing, since LEGO refuse to make joints capable of handling any amount of weight. They didn't give their Voltron or the UCS Hulkbuster leg articulation, so it's extremely unlikely that a large AT-AT will be anything more than a giant immobile statue. I'm already disappointed and it hasn't been announced yet.

[rsvictor1976]

3 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Likewise. A UCS AT-AT has been number one on my Star Wars want list since they acquired the license in '99.  If it is indeed coming, I'm trying to temper my expectations, as I doubt it'll have any articulation, except maybe a little head swing, since LEGO refuse to make joints capable of handling any amount of weight. They didn't give their Voltron or the UCS Hulkbuster leg articulation, so it's extremely unlikely that a large AT-AT will be anything more than a giant immobile statue. I'm already disappointed and it hasn't been announced yet.

Realistically, something that size and weight, you probably not gonna be moving around at all and keep it a display piece. My UCS Milennium Falcon just sits there on the shelf... it's pretty to look at thought.

[M'Kyuun]

Just now, rsvictor1976 said:

Realistically, something that size and weight, you probably not gonna be moving around at all and keep it a display piece. My UCS Milennium Falcon just sits there on the shelf... it's pretty to look at thought.

Oh no- the joy of an AT-AT, or any machine with legs, is the ability to move those legs from time to time to affect a different pose.  TBH, I have the UCS Millennium Falcon, and it's still in its box unbuilt, as I've nowhere to build it or put it when it's finished. I'll have the same issue with a UCS AT-AT, although I have plans to build a shop in my backyard for storage and display, eventually.  My disdain for poorly articulated toys goes back to 80s Transformers, and continues today with LEGO, and their odd reluctance to invest in improved joints that can handle greater loads for these larger models. Their IDEAs Voltron, and their Hulkbuster could have been far more enjoyable models had they been fully articulated. I've seen fan mods of both that accomplished it, but with their annual revenues in the billions of dollars, a very skilled workforce, and virtually any manufacturing technology within reach, why won't they make joints tailored to supporting large models so these things come fully articulated by original design?  It is a constant source of vexation for me.

[David Hingtgen]

LEGO *does* have larger ratchet hinges that can hold significant weight, but they're in only in one or two shapes and rarely seen in my experience.   (I'm thinking of the ones in the Silent Mary set, as they hold up the entire front half of the ship).  

[M'Kyuun]

1 hour ago, David Hingtgen said:

LEGO *does* have larger ratchet hinges that can hold significant weight, but they're in only in one or two shapes and rarely seen in my experience.   (I'm thinking of the ones in the Silent Mary set, as they hold up the entire front half of the ship).  

I'm assuming your referring to parts 44224 and 44225, which were introduced in 2003 in the 4483 AT-AT and 4482 AT-TE sets to articulate the legs. I have referred to these joints as AT-AT joints ever since. They remain the largest and strongest of the ratcheting joints LEGO has made, and have appeared in a multitude of sets. However, there have been no improvements or additions made to the joint since its introduction. Something like this  that can snap into 44225 and create a compact horizontal joint would make for better hip joints on large mecha. Likewise, that gear and its mate (99009,99010) engineered to be a ratcheting joint, would be enormously helpful for articulating large models, especially if they came in different torque values, or even a variable torque version. Being able to toggle the torque through several different values would be awesome. They have been using this turntable for large mecha, most notably IDEAS Voltron's shoulders, but it requires an external means of producing torque, usually a technic ball and socket joint, that necessitates a slightly bulky little build near the turntable to support said ball joint. If there was internal ratcheting, it would lend itself to more applications in smaller areas. It would be more efficient.

The medium ratcheting joints, which I still call Exo-Force clicky joints, are useful, but rather limited in their torque, and they weaken over time if any weight is applied to them. Again, it would be great if they were improved to handle greater loads, or came in a variety of torque values depending on the application. Too, I have longed and hoped for an analog to this piece  that would allow rotation in three axes. It would be one of the most useful parts they could introduce so far as improving their joint palette, but they've never done it and likely never will, goddamn them. Despite all the mecha sets they make, they seem to have little interest in increasing their ability to improve articulation or the means thereof, and it drives me absolutely crazy. It really stokes my anger when I see them make all these one-off parts for various themes that have very limited use, when an improved joint palette would pay dividends for decades and allow for improved models that require motion or articulation.  

In addition to the joints I've already mentioned, I've hoped for technic pins and axles with ratcheting capabilities when interfaced with specialized Technic bricks- ratcheting at that level would be stupendously helpful.  Ratcheting Technic ball joints would also be wonderfully useful- so many apps. I drool at the possibilities if LEGO would just make this stuff.

 

 

[Chronocidal]

I honestly wouldn't mind if we had a wider selection of worm-drive enclosures.  It's not ideal for easy posing, but I was able to get the arms of a 1/18th scale VF-1 to work almost flawlessly with four each (shoulder forward/back, lift, bicep twist, and elbow).

You just needed a crank to pose the arms one joint at a time.  

I agree though, I would love some compact ratcheted turntables for shoulder and hip joints.

Really, the weak link once you get to larger models is that you get past the point where a standard axle is sufficient to support a limb, and you need dedicated turntables to distribute the load.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Chronocidal

[M'Kyuun]

10 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I honestly wouldn't mind if we had a wider selection of worm-drive enclosures.  It's not ideal for easy posing, but I was able to get the arms of a 1/18th scale VF-1 to work almost flawlessly with four each (shoulder forward/back, lift, bicep twist, and elbow).

You just needed a crank to pose the arms one joint at a time.  

I agree though, I would love some compact ratcheted turntables for shoulder and hip joints.

Really, the weak link once you get to larger models is that you get past the point where a standard axle is sufficient to support a limb, and you need dedicated turntables to distribute the load.

My VB-6 is the largest mech I've built thus far, and I was able to get the Exo-Force joints to work, although I've taken to putting small rubber bands within to help increase the torque. but on the larger scale, you're correct in that the ABS axles are too thin and either twist or break with the excessive torque loads. Technic gearing is a must, and I've seen some great examples of what you're talking about using worm geared assemblies to actuate the various points of articulation to slow, but good effect. 

Brian Cooper, AKA Klaupacius, is one such MOC designer who I hold in high esteem for his incredible large scaled anime inspired MOCs which require huge Technic frames to support the weight and torque loads. Going Big with Legos - Make: (makezine.com)  I got to see this build in person, and even had a chance to take a close look at one of the legs as he was breaking it down to crate up and send to his boss who had commissioned it. His Gundam builds are no less impressive, and I had the privilege of seeing a number of them in person as well. I tried to find a good current site for his stuff without success. I'm sure he's still building and posting, somewhere.

There's certainly a need for a family of larger ratcheted joints within LEGO's palette, and their strange reluctance to produce them is a huge head-scratcher for me. Too, their reluctance to match the current standard of articulation among action figures, and even the higher standard employed by one of their largest competitors, Mega Bloks, is both mindboggling and disappointing.  They continue to add new elements in just about every other theme  and category, but sadly, no love for joints, beyond the addition of the small Mixel ball joint system about five years ago. Even that system, incredibly useful as it is, begs for additional elements to enhance its usefulness, but thus far, nothing more.  So sad and frustrating.

Edited September 25, 2021 by M'Kyuun

[M'Kyuun]

Just watched a vid detailing rumored leaks for next year: I was hoping that the next large throwback Creator set would be a Classic Space homage, much like the pirate ship of 2020, and this year's castle set, both of which are beautifully done, but apparently next year's big Creator set is going to be a Viking ship.  Given that LEGO is a Danish company, with proud Viking ancestry, and the fact that they've only ever done one Viking theme in all these years (I still have the large Viking ship set from that line), it's cool for folks who missed out on that original line, and it celebrates Danish history, which is cool, even if the the Viking way of life probably contradicts LEGO's violence policy, at least theoretically.  Alas, my hope for a small revival of CS via Creator is dashed for now. perhaps we'll get another big set in the second half of 2022 that's reminiscent of the old space themes. Fingers crossed.

There is, however, rumored to be more City Space coming next summer in the form of three sets, including a moon rover, a lunar space station, and a lunar research station. I very much enjoyed the last spate of City Space sets, and should the rumors prove true, I'm looking forward to these lunar sets. In the absence of a dedicated space theme, City and Creator have become our refuge for original space themed sets, and I'll take whatever LEGO will give me. I've mentioned before that I'm glad LEGO has the Star Wars license; I've bought A LOT of Star Wars sets over the years, and I love them; but, growing up with Classic Space and continuing to collect their other original Space themes over the years (I wish vehemently I could go back in time and pick up any number of those old sets that I passed on), I miss the wonderful mix of creativity and play that LEGO brought to their own Space themes, as do so many other Space fans around the world.  With their ever growing palette and advancements with techniques, it's maddening to think of what could be achieved in original space themes, but that potential goes undiscovered for whatever reason. As LEGO begins moving in different directions and picking up ever more IPs, I find my interest waning. If it keeps the company profitable, I'm happy, but they're making less stuff that interests me these days, which is ironic, as they continue to push more product every year and in many different directions. I applaud their attempts to appeal to an adult audience; we've been there all along (I have for sure), but it's nice to see acknowledgement of that consumer base in a pointed marketing strategy. I think they can do away with the all-black backgrounds on adult targeted sets, though- adults like nice graphics, too, especially on a set like The Daily Bugle, or a UCS Star Wars set. LEGO has some seriously talented artists working for them, and it'd be nice to see appropriate backgrounds framing these sets on the boxes rather than an all-black landscape. Just my $.02.  Returning to my point, even with all the diversity that LEGO has been introducing, I've slowed down on my buying over the last few years, as LEGO's not making as much stuff that interests me within System, and though I don't really have the space for it, and it's saving me money,  I kinda miss the thrill of having themes like Ultra Agents and Space, or sets like they made for the NInjago Movie (some of the best sets to ever come from LEGO IMHO- just incredible!). 

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Set 10294:

Iceberg sold separately.

[Bolt]

On 9/26/2021 at 8:54 AM, M'Kyuun said:

Just watched a vid detailing rumored leaks for next year: I was hoping that the next large throwback Creator set would be a Classic Space homage, much like the pirate ship of 2020, and this year's castle set, both of which are beautifully done, but apparently next year's big Creator set is going to be a Viking ship.  Given that LEGO is a Danish company, with proud Viking ancestry, and the fact that they've only ever done one Viking theme in all these years (I still have the large Viking ship set from that line), it's cool for folks who missed out on that original line, and it celebrates Danish history, which is cool, even if the the Viking way of life probably contradicts LEGO's violence policy, at least theoretically.  Alas, my hope for a small revival of CS via Creator is dashed for now. perhaps we'll get another big set in the second half of 2022 that's reminiscent of the old space themes. Fingers crossed.

There is, however, rumored to be more City Space coming next summer in the form of three sets, including a moon rover, a lunar space station, and a lunar research station. I very much enjoyed the last spate of City Space sets, and should the rumors prove true, I'm looking forward to these lunar sets. In the absence of a dedicated space theme, City and Creator have become our refuge for original space themed sets, and I'll take whatever LEGO will give me. I've mentioned before that I'm glad LEGO has the Star Wars license; I've bought A LOT of Star Wars sets over the years, and I love them; but, growing up with Classic Space and continuing to collect their other original Space themes over the years (I wish vehemently I could go back in time and pick up any number of those old sets that I passed on), I miss the wonderful mix of creativity and play that LEGO brought to their own Space themes, as do so many other Space fans around the world.  With their ever growing palette and advancements with techniques, it's maddening to think of what could be achieved in original space themes, but that potential goes undiscovered for whatever reason. As LEGO begins moving in different directions and picking up ever more IPs, I find my interest waning. If it keeps the company profitable, I'm happy, but they're making less stuff that interests me these days, which is ironic, as they continue to push more product every year and in many different directions. I applaud their attempts to appeal to an adult audience; we've been there all along (I have for sure), but it's nice to see acknowledgement of that consumer base in a pointed marketing strategy. I think they can do away with the all-black backgrounds on adult targeted sets, though- adults like nice graphics, too, especially on a set like The Daily Bugle, or a UCS Star Wars set. LEGO has some seriously talented artists working for them, and it'd be nice to see appropriate backgrounds framing these sets on the boxes rather than an all-black landscape. Just my $.02.  Returning to my point, even with all the diversity that LEGO has been introducing, I've slowed down on my buying over the last few years, as LEGO's not making as much stuff that interests me within System, and though I don't really have the space for it, and it's saving me money,  I kinda miss the thrill of having themes like Ultra Agents and Space, or sets like they made for the NInjago Movie (some of the best sets to ever come from LEGO IMHO- just incredible!). 

Word ..

 

2 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

Set 10294:

Iceberg sold separately.

omg🤣

[Dobber]

I’m seriously tempted by the Titanic. Damn that is awesome. 
 

Chris

[renegadeleader1]

11 hours ago, Bolt said:

Iceberg sold separately

The Cobi Brick Titanic set actually came with one! 

This one looks a hell of a lot more detailed though. I wonder how they would scale together?