Lego Master Building Academy (MBA)

[kibosh]

As a father of a 9 year old, I am thrilled by this. Brilliant idea. Only time will tell if the execution is brilliant as well. My son loves to build, and I love to build with him, but his techniques are still very rudimentary. I'm hoping having these instruction manuals in his hand so he can review them at his own pace will help him along.

I'm surprised by how critical everyone is of this program. I think it's clear it's geared towards children. What AFOL is going to care about getting a certificate of achievement? Not me. But my 9 year old would be very proud of it. And for six 84 page instruction manuals detailing advanced techniques? That might be worth the money to me as a parent alone.

Just because something Lego does is not right for you, does not mean it's not right.

[Zeya]

I think most people pointed out that this program is fantastic for kids.

But what people are going to do on this forum is pick it apart and criticize it from an AFOL's (adult's) perspective. This forum is geared towards adults, almost entirely adults collecting for themselves. Sometimes people will mention their children, but most often it's just people buying for themselves. So you see, people aren't really raining on the parade for kids. There just aren't any kids on this site. Kids don't really come into the equation. It's basically all about us, the adults!

It just kind of goes unspoken that Lego's core demographic are children and that we are a special interest group. Actually, that gets mentioned all the time, lol.

[CorneliusMurdock]

I think the level one sets look really nice but the level two ones don't appeal to me. If they had maybe split it into levels I might've gotten it. It would also make it more affordable for those that don't want to spend $70 all at one time for a subscription.

[Trent]

I think it's a great idea, and it's a shame that it's not available in this country - I can think of a few children I'd have given a subscription to as a present.

[Blondie-Wan]

I think most people pointed out that this program is fantastic for kids.

But what people are going to do on this forum is pick it apart and criticize it from an AFOL's (adult's) perspective. This forum is geared towards adults, almost entirely adults collecting for themselves. Sometimes people will mention their children, but most often it's just people buying for themselves. So you see, people aren't really raining on the parade for kids. There just aren't any kids on this site. Kids don't really come into the equation. It's basically all about us, the adults!

It just kind of goes unspoken that Lego's core demographic are children and that we are a special interest group. Actually, that gets mentioned all the time, lol.

Fair enough!

That said, I'm seriously thinking about subscribing for myself. I don't expect to really learn a lot of new techniques from this, but every once in a while I still learn something from the LEGO designers on their own site or whatever, and I also think I'll appreciate the physical products - more parts, of course (always welcome, even if they're not particularly rare or needed), especially the exclusive minifigures (who look like they'll get along famously with my LEGO Universe preorder astronaut), and the rest (everything from the booklets to the parts trays). I've gone ahead and preordered the initial kit (and might order additional copies, if I like the first and if $$ circumstances permit) and seriously think I might get the sub.

[Fallenangel]

It saddens me that children must be taught in such a way... Although I can see my brother enjoying this for a while, the teaching will frustrate him as he has already come across many techniques on his own and is building well, without any sort "formal" instruction. The whole point of Lego is to explore the possibilities with creativity only limited by volume of bricks.

I have been asked before where I get such creative ideas (I also write, so I field more questions like that) and really, you teach technique, you feed creativity. So this is great for the more paper instruction bound children with those helicopter parents who blanche at the thought of deviance from the instructions, but it will just be a nice parts pack for the ones already on the road to imaginative building.

Maybe I was sounding too contemptuous of this program in my last post here, but I agree with Peppermint_M on this point. While it's great that kids can now take a "textbook" approach to building better LEGO (for those who prefer to get into it that way), I feel that having exposure to LEGO MOCs can do your building skills a world of good(no pun intended) as well as help you to realize that LEGO sets are not the be-all, end-all. Does The LEGO Group make sets that encourage imaginative building? Sure. But can you also get that creative inspiration from a good MOC? Of course. It's nice that LEGO tried to create a strictly moderated environment within which kids can develop through this program, but in all honesty if I were eight years old and excited about building better MOCs I would take a look around brickshelf before turning to a 'Builders Academy'.

[AndyC]

If I were a parent (and I'm not) I might well feel a lot more comfortable letting my kids use a site I knew was being heavily moderated by TLG rather than letting them randomly browse around on Flickr or Brickshelf. Even more so if I weren't an AFOL parent. And as a kid who grew up with a big tub of second-hand Lego for the most part, I reckon I'd have been ever so excited by the idea of something like this that would not only get me more parts but also show some different types of building ideas.

[Arigomi]

Until I can see one of the booklets firsthand, I want to reserve judgment on how useful these kits are about teaching. It looks like these kits go through the same training that certified LEGO professionals go through, albeit in an easy to digest form for kids. I'm still intrigued because there was mention of teaching techniques like how to effectively use brick paper. I'm also interested in seeing the comments from the designer during the building instructions. Understanding the mindset would go a long way to deciphering the process for some of our favorite sets and how we can incorporate these ideas into our own builds.

I can see how the kits can be in production for at least a couple of years because they use colors that are always available.

[vynsane]

I think the premise behind the MBA is a really smart way to entice young LEGO fans to migrate to other themes and engender creative building, when most of them are buying Star Wars sets and leaving them built, like models. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but the essence of LEGO has long been creative building, which seems to be going by the wayside. In comparison to Brickmaster, MBA seems to be quite a better value. BM seemed to be nothing but a series of impulse sets and a glorified LEGO Club magazine, whereas the sets in MBA have more pieces, multiple instructions, the exclusive minifigures, and less emphasis on promoting themes like Star Wars, Prince of Persia, etc and more on general building themes like 'space', 'microscale', 'creatures', etc... Really it seems like the Creator premise turned into a subscription club.

As a 33 y/o AFOL who recently emerged from my dark age, I'm enticed by the pieces and minifigures, mostly, but am always looking for more tips and tricks to improve my creative building. I also feel that the MBA books will last a lot longer and hold better info for my now 4.5 y/o daughter and any future children I might have.

I contacted LEGO Customer Service for more info regarding the nature of the MBA program subscription, because it seems to differ from the Brickmaster subs where you missed out if you didn't subscribe for that year's membership, and I was right in assuming that as new levels are added to the program, previous levels will still be perennially available:

Kit 1 will be available as a stand alone kit until it is discontinued, which most likely won't happen for quite a bit of time. The first kit is $29.99 and comes with a brick separator, exclusive mini figure, and a tray to store pieces for the entire program (kits 1-6). The first kit is currently on preorder, and will start shipping in June.

Kits 2-6 are available as a subscription for $69.99. These kits are available to start shipping in July and will ship every other month (like the Brickmaster!). So if you signed up now for both Kit 1 and the subscription, you would receive a kit in June, July, September, November, January, and March. If you purchase the subscription later this year, you would still start with Kit 1. The Master Builder Academy is focused on advancing building skills, so it is fantastic that at any time you can start with the first kit and work your way up.

It's interesting to note that the stand-alone Kit 1 will only be available for a limited time, being absorbed into the full-year subscription eventually. Remember, you can order up to 5 of these stand-alone Kit 1 sets, but as of now pre-orders for Kits 2-6 are limited to 1 per customer. It's also interesting that the initial Kit 1 and Kit 2 mailings will actually be a month apart, as opposed to the 2-month gap between each proceeding kit, meaning that those who pre-order the whole shebang will get all 6 kits in 10 months as opposed to 12. Look for the Level 3/4 kit subscriptions to come online next March at the latest.

[happymark]

I agree, most of it.

I am just worried that for kids, this MBA would be just another 'instructions', or just another creator sets (actually I do not see

it has much more value than a common Creator set - and Creator sets are cheaper - because they are not as popular as Starwars or Harry Potter)

I really think kids should do more 'Freestyle' just like AFOLs do for MOCs.

but nowadays, the offical sets have more and more details, so I feel lose motivation for MOC because of my MOCs would be far below offical sets.

By the way, I found the MBA sets are not free shipping, will it be available in LEGO store?

I think the premise behind the MBA is a really smart way to entice young LEGO fans to migrate to other themes and engender creative building, when most of them are buying Star Wars sets and leaving them built, like models. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but the essence of LEGO has long been creative building, which seems to be going by the wayside. In comparison to Brickmaster, MBA seems to be quite a better value. BM seemed to be nothing but a series of impulse sets and a glorified LEGO Club magazine, whereas the sets in MBA have more pieces, multiple instructions, the exclusive minifigures, and less emphasis on promoting themes like Star Wars, Prince of Persia, etc and more on general building themes like 'space', 'microscale', 'creatures', etc... Really it seems like the Creator premise turned into a subscription club.

As a 33 y/o AFOL who recently emerged from my dark age, I'm enticed by the pieces and minifigures, mostly, but am always looking for more tips and tricks to improve my creative building. I also feel that the MBA books will last a lot longer and hold better info for my now 4.5 y/o daughter and any future children I might have.

I contacted LEGO Customer Service for more info regarding the nature of the MBA program subscription, because it seems to differ from the Brickmaster subs where you missed out if you didn't subscribe for that year's membership, and I was right in assuming that as new levels are added to the program, previous levels will still be perennially available:

It's interesting to note that the stand-alone Kit 1 will only be available for a limited time, being absorbed into the full-year subscription eventually. Remember, you can order up to 5 of these stand-alone Kit 1 sets, but as of now pre-orders for Kits 2-6 are limited to 1 per customer. It's also interesting that the initial Kit 1 and Kit 2 mailings will actually be a month apart, as opposed to the 2-month gap between each proceeding kit, meaning that those who pre-order the whole shebang will get all 6 kits in 10 months as opposed to 12. Look for the Level 3/4 kit subscriptions to come online next March at the latest.

[vynsane]

I am just worried that for kids, this MBA would be just another 'instructions', or just another creator sets

I really think kids should do more 'Freestyle' just like AFOLs do for MOCs.

It's always possible that young MBA subscribers will not be inspired to begin 'freestyle' creative building, but the books that come with each kit are much more than mere instructions - there are bound to be interviews, techniques and MOC spotlights that will inspire beyond the instructions.

(actually I do not see

it has much more value than a common Creator set - and Creator sets are cheaper - because they are not as popular as Starwars or Harry Potter)

As an aside, Creator sets are not only cheaper because they are 'less popular' - they're cheaper because they cost less to produce, be the expense licensing fees, printing of pieces and minifigures, or production of sticker sheets.

but nowadays, the offical sets have more and more details, so I feel lose motivation for MOC because of my MOCs would be far below offical sets.

This is true, the sets these days are much more elaborate than when I was a child, but that is only natural - over time things evolve and get more complex. That said, it seems that a lot of the techniques espoused in the MBA program are some of the more advanced techniques used in the design process by the Master Builders who produce the sets themselves, so proceeding through the MBA program will bring young subscribers up to the level of detail used by older MOCers, assuming they go through the lessons in each kit's handbook and don't just build the three models and forget about it ;)

By the way, I found the MBA sets are not free shipping, will it be available in LEGO store?

It seems to me that the stand-alone Kit 1 might show up in LEGO Stores starting in June, possibly with an insert promoting the subscription for Kits 2-6. However, given the nature of the subscription, I doubt we'll see anything after Kit 1 in stores.

Edited May 12, 2011 by vynsane

[Brickdoctor]

What it seems like is that they aren't going to directly instruct you how to build some of the models. I'm sure they'll give you instructions for the simple ones, but they might just give you hints for the later ones.

[Fallenangel]

I think the premise behind the MBA is a really smart way to entice young LEGO fans to migrate to other themes and engender creative building, when most of them are buying Star Wars sets and leaving them built, like models. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but the essence of LEGO has long been creative building, which seems to be going by the wayside.

I concur. Though I maintain that neither the quality of the builds themselves nor are particularly appealing, I do like the idea behind this program.

but nowadays, the offical sets have more and more details, so I feel lose motivation for MOC because of my MOCs would be far below offical sets.

Don't lose hope! I doubt LEGO will be catching up to us anytime soon.

What it seems like is that they aren't going to directly instruct you how to build some of the models. I'm sure they'll give you instructions for the simple ones, but they might just give you hints for the later ones.

Could be.

[Aanchir]

Just found something I feel I have to share. My dad recently ordered one of the MBA starter kits to see whether it's worth getting a subscription (and if we do get one, whether it's the sort of thing that would be worth getting more than one of-- I have two siblings I'm going to have to share the starter kit, after all).

Anyway, I'm very impressed with the piece count and the manual, and the quality of the sorting tray isn't at all as cheap as I was led to believe from the reviews I read. It's certainly not like the crappy plastic insert material that I was expecting! But that's not what I wanted to share. After looking at the manual with my younger brother, I noticed the number "4646874" on the back, and on a whim decided to see if a copy of the manual was online.

Sure enough, the manual to the starter kit is online! US fans can now see for themselves whether or not they think this style of package is worth the subscription, while non-US fans can decide for themselves if they're really missing out on anything. Certainly some of the building tips are geared towards younger kids, and the manual makes it clear from the beginning that it's aimed at kids rather than adults, but this applies to most LEGO products and that's no reason we adults have nothing to gain from it.

In my opinion, the useful pieces at a great price is reason enough for the full subscription, but at the same time the well-designed models stand out among LEGO sets and the informative manuals are a high quality even for a LEGO publication. The starter kit admittedly has a poor price-per-piece and not much to offer besides its awesome parts in awesome colors. The building tips are obvious for a long-time builder and it doesn't really go into detail about the dimensions of headlight bricks (or "erling bricks") and how they vary from other SNOT pieces.

But at the same time, the starter kit is needed to unlock the MBA web content (I imagine, anyway, unless the code in the online manual is in fact still valid), and I haven't yet even looked at that to see whether it has anything special to offer. I hope it has videos from real Master Builders, since those are always entertaining-- whether they're the adult-geared "Design" videos for the D2C sets or the more playful designer videos on the Ninjago and Power Miners websites.

For now, here's the manual for anyone to judge for themselves. Hopefully this means the manuals for future kits will also be available online for fans to consult.

[Brickdoctor]

Great find, Aanchir. If there was any part of the kit I would want to take a look at, it would be the manual. It looks, unsurprisingly, quite simple, really, but I'll comment more after I've read it all. It looks to do a good job of presenting the techniques to the targeted audience, though.

Sideways building. Is there something wrong with SNOT? (I guess maybe they didn't want to have to explain the concept of studs and their directions)

Edited July 1, 2011 by Brickdoctor

[Legofan4ever88]

I wish that it'd be cheaper. It seems interesting, but it's too pricey and it looks for more of the "Beginner builder" crowd. Plus 30 dollars just for the first kit of 178 pieces is a bit expensive. Unless my math is off, it's 16 cents PP

[Aanchir]

Great find, Aanchir. If there was any part of the kit I would want to take a look at, it would be the manual. It looks, unsurprisingly, quite simple, really, but I'll comment more after I've read it all. It looks to do a good job of presenting the techniques to the targeted audience, though.

Sideways building. Is there something wrong with SNOT? (I guess maybe they didn't want to have to explain the concept of studs and their directions)

Well, there's the obvious thing wrong with SNOT, which is how it's pronounced. A kid raised in a fairly conservative household might be chastised for talking about "snot techniques", and it would reflect badly on the company if it seemed they were encouraging inappropriate humor. The word "snot" is not too badly frowned upon in the United States (not enough to be censored, anyway), but at the same time some parents of young children often put forth an effort to raise their kids without much bodily-function humor of any kind.

And then there's also the fact that SNOT is an AFOL term, and Master Builders may very well have been just calling it "sideways building" without any catchy acronym for years before the AFOL community was recognized. While LEGO has been around for a long time, AFOL communities are comparatively fairly recent, and their acronyms even more so.

I wish that it'd be cheaper. It seems interesting, but it's too pricey and it looks for more of the "Beginner builder" crowd. Plus 30 dollars just for the first kit of 178 pieces is a bit expensive. Unless my math is off, it's 16 cents PP

Well, frankly, if you're not interested in the manuals (which are the main things that are catered to "beginner builders"), and you're not too attached to the pieces in the first kit, the first kit and subscription package are not tied together. So you could very easily skip the first kit and just get the subscription for the next five kits, which have an amazing price per piece. I'm not sure how that might affect your ability to get the kits for Levels 3 and 4, of course-- it could be that to actually progress through the ranks you need to have the code from the first kit. It'd be nice if TLG made some of this clearer for the benefit of AFOLs who aren't as concerned with the actual program, just the sets.

[Brickdoctor]

Well, there's the obvious thing wrong with SNOT, which is how it's pronounced. A kid raised in a fairly conservative household might be chastised for talking about "snot techniques", and it would reflect badly on the company if it seemed they were encouraging inappropriate humor. The word "snot" is not too badly frowned upon in the United States (not enough to be censored, anyway), but at the same time some parents of young children often put forth an effort to raise their kids without much bodily-function humor of any kind.

And then there's also the fact that SNOT is an AFOL term, and Master Builders may very well have been just calling it "sideways building" without any catchy acronym for years before the AFOL community was recognized. While LEGO has been around for a long time, AFOL communities are comparatively fairly recent, and their acronyms even more so.

Good points. The former did occur to me after I posted, but I was busy doing some other things and forgot to post that. I still just find it funny, though.

[Legofan4ever88]

Well, there's the obvious thing wrong with SNOT, which is how it's pronounced. A kid raised in a fairly conservative household might be chastised for talking about "snot techniques", and it would reflect badly on the company if it seemed they were encouraging inappropriate humor. The word "snot" is not too badly frowned upon in the United States (not enough to be censored, anyway), but at the same time some parents of young children often put forth an effort to raise their kids without much bodily-function humor of any kind.

And then there's also the fact that SNOT is an AFOL term, and Master Builders may very well have been just calling it "sideways building" without any catchy acronym for years before the AFOL community was recognized. While LEGO has been around for a long time, AFOL communities are comparatively fairly recent, and their acronyms even more so.

Well, frankly, if you're not interested in the manuals (which are the main things that are catered to "beginner builders"), and you're not too attached to the pieces in the first kit, the first kit and subscription package are not tied together. So you could very easily skip the first kit and just get the subscription for the next five kits, which have an amazing price per piece. I'm not sure how that might affect your ability to get the kits for Levels 3 and 4, of course-- it could be that to actually progress through the ranks you need to have the code from the first kit. It'd be nice if TLG made some of this clearer for the benefit of AFOLs who aren't as concerned with the actual program, just the sets.

Actually, I am interested in the first kit for the model(really interesting build) but i'm not willing to pay 30 bucks for it(20 pushing yes, 10-15 dollars YES!,30 NO). I need to find out to see how VIP points towards items work b/c maybe I can get the price down whenever I go to the lego store again if the set one kits are there. I have an active search on BL for this and 2 on eBay.

[Fallenangel]

Sideways building. Is there something wrong with SNOT? (I guess maybe they didn't want to have to explain the concept of studs and their directions)

I had always suspected that The LEGO Group doesn't like SNOT...

Well, there's the obvious thing wrong with SNOT, which is how it's pronounced. A kid raised in a fairly conservative household might be chastised for talking about "snot techniques", and it would reflect badly on the company if it seemed they were encouraging inappropriate humor. The word "snot" is not too badly frowned upon in the United States (not enough to be censored, anyway), but at the same time some parents of young children often put forth an effort to raise their kids without much bodily-function humor of any kind.

:laugh:

[Aanchir]

I had always suspected that The LEGO Group doesn't like SNOT...

Not true, TLG loves SNOT. The problem, though, is that while it doesn't seem like an advanced technique, it doesn't come naturally to a great number of builders. The first instinct of inexperienced builders is usually to start a model from the bottom and stack bricks on top until it's finished, and heavy use of SNOT techniques makes the process more confusing for many beginning builders.

Additionally, oftentimes in the AFOL community SNOT techniques are used to create large surfaces without studs. TLG does not like doing this because they're proud of their studs-- they're one of the things that make LEGO models so distinctive. Thus there is rarely a concerted effort to create studless surfaces in official models the way there often is in advanced MOCs. This is one reason I'm impressed with the boast in the instruction manual for the first MBA kit that the rocket (the second model) ends up almost entirely without exposed studs-- even if it's obviously a huge exaggeration, it's still something TLG rarely brags about in terms of model design, and shows that they do in fact appreciate some of the same design principles as AFOLs even if they avoid them in most sets.

On a side note, I just compared my own instruction manual, and it has the same MBA code as the online one. So I would guess that the code is not unique to each manual, but rather is the same for every MBA starter kit. This is interesting as it contradicts the MBA site's claim that you register by entering your "unique MBA code", and makes it so that theoretically anyone can activate a membership by entering this code.

Edited July 2, 2011 by Aanchir

[akunthita]

One of the contributors at theBrickBlogger wrote a really interesting post about her experiences with the first MBA kit.

I found her article very interesting and perhaps very relevant to many AFOLs with spouses or family members who may have some secret interest in LEGO, but may be intimidated by their own lack of experience, and perhaps by their AFOL partner's (that's you!) maddening skills!

Sarah had her share of challenges with the MBA kit, but with a happy ending; ultimately she was able to design her very own set, based on the principles she learned. The very first set that she was able to build without her AFOL husband's help!

An experience like this can be huge for a lot of people! Be that a child, or an adult. Although the models in the kit may not appeal to life-long LEGO fans, it seems like the educational element of it is put together extremely well.

Those of us who have been building with LEGO our whole life cannot even relate to the challenges, fears and mental-blocks of someone who is starting later, or is not a "natural". When I introduce someone new to LEGO, I just throw them a handful of bricks and encourage them to build something. But I really don't have a system to teach them.

It seems like the MBA kit fits that bill! I'm very impressed that LEGO is taking this role of teaching how to design sets like a pro! In fact, this very first kit tackles some very advanced building techniques! And from Sarah's example it is obviously very effective!

So, if you have a NLP (non-lego-person) in your family, you may consider enrolling them in the program. Just watch out! They are learning from the masters, so they may quickly outgrow your skills!

Here is the link to Sarah's post: Joining the Academy

Go girl!

[SilvaShado]

One of the contributors at theBrickBlogger wrote a really interesting post about her experiences with the first MBA kit.

I found her article very interesting and perhaps very relevant to many AFOLs with spouses or family members who may have some secret interest in LEGO, but may be intimidated by their own lack of experience, and perhaps by their AFOL partner's (that's you!) maddening skills!

Sarah had her share of challenges with the MBA kit, but with a happy ending; ultimately she was able to design her very own set, based on the principles she learned. The very first set that she was able to build without her AFOL husband's help!

An experience like this can be huge for a lot of people! Be that a child, or an adult. Although the models in the kit may not appeal to life-long LEGO fans, it seems like the educational element of it is put together extremely well.

Those of us who have been building with LEGO our whole life cannot even relate to the challenges, fears and mental-blocks of someone who is starting later, or is not a "natural". When I introduce someone new to LEGO, I just throw them a handful of bricks and encourage them to build something. But I really don't have a system to teach them.

It seems like the MBA kit fits that bill! I'm very impressed that LEGO is taking this role of teaching how to design sets like a pro! In fact, this very first kit tackles some very advanced building techniques! And from Sarah's example it is obviously very effective!

So, if you have a NLP (non-lego-person) in your family, you may consider enrolling them in the program. Just watch out! They are learning from the masters, so they may quickly outgrow your skills!

Here is the link to Sarah's post: Joining the Academy

Go girl!

lol! Thanks so much for posting a link to my blog! I'm so happy that people are liking it and the MBA. MBA is very good for the educational value. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to improve their building skills, as indicated in my blog post.

[akunthita]

If you are in the USA, and you get all six kits at once ($100), you would also qualify for free shipping! And the free Kingdoms Target Practice set. If you are sitting on the fence, this is a good time to get it!

Also, the first kit maybe $30, but if you add up all 6 kits, it comes to $17/ kit, which is 9 cents a piece (if they all have around 178 pieces like the first kit). Not al all bad!

[Aanchir]

If you are in the USA, and you get all six kits at once ($100), you would also qualify for free shipping! And the free Kingdoms Target Practice set. If you are sitting on the fence, this is a good time to get it!

Also, the first kit maybe $30, but if you add up all 6 kits, it comes to $17/ kit, which is 9 cents a piece (if they all have around 178 pieces like the first kit). Not al all bad!

Well, we do know the overall pieces in the full six kits is 1,125, and the overall price is $99.98 US. So yeah, 9 cents per piece.

We don't know the specifics about how many pieces each kit has, although the zoomed-in image of the Kits 2-6 subscription on LEGOshop.com suggests Kit 2 (Microbuild Designer) has 222 pieces, while Kit 4 (Flight Designer) has 150 pieces. Kit 6 would seem to have 222 pieces as well.