Too Much Detail on Minifigures?

[Lancethecat]

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this yet, but I've noticed that LEGO seems to be printing too many details on this summer's Star Wars minifigures. Take Luke, for example: he has so many lines on his face that it makes him look downright ugly. What was wrong with his previous face prints? Other examples include General Veers from the AT-AT and Owen Lars from the UCS Sandcrawler.

Does anyone else think that these figures are becoming too detailed? Or is it just me?

[TheBrickHitHouse]

Yeah! Let's go back to those 'great' 1980's figures where we'd be lucky to get any printing at all!

Take any figure from the Stars Wars wave in 1999 and put them next to a figure in 2014 - the difference in quality is staggering.

Frankly, if I'm being asked to find £100 for a set (invariably the 3rd version of it) I want figures that are works of art - start giving me arm printing too and the side leg printing we get on the CMF. I refuse to believe the cost of really going all out is anything more than pennies for Lego.

[Flieger]

I think especially General Veers looks perfect and so much better than older versions! I have to agree though that Luke looks older due to the added lines, but that is more of a problem specifically for younger characters - and female characters. Grown-up men are well represented.

Lego is taking the right direction, it just needs to finetune the face printing. The torso and leg printing is so superior nowadays that I cannot even stand looking at the old figures.

[Alfadas]

Frankly, if I'm being asked to find £100 for a set (invariably the 3rd version of it) I want figures that are works of art - start giving me arm printing too and the side leg printing we get on the CMF. I refuse to believe the cost of really going all out is anything more than pennies for Lego.

And when TLG starts using sideleg printing and arm printing, it gets cheaper. Look at leg printing. A few years ago we didn't get any. Now you have to search for figs without leg printing (other then city and generic castle soldiers). Same with back printing. We can't think of a fig now without backprinting, but back in 2009 orso, we didn't get any. I for one love the increase of printing, but I agree, some figs just have too much details.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Alfadas

[VK-318]

I actually hope that they don't start with too much arm printing, though leg printing is okay with me, sort of. The trouble is that it can get hard to build a custom minifigure without overdecorating it. But since there's Bricklink to go to, I honestly am not really worried; Lego can do what it feels works best.

[Mr Man]

I think it started with the TCW ARC Troopers, it's a bit too much detail for Lego.

[Sir_Basil_Ashton]

I have mixed feelings but the extra printing is part of the evolution of minifigures. I agree that LEGO has to find a balance since the new Luke looks horrendous.

[Xcod119]

Some of the figures do look ugly and they aren't meant to be action figures like the macfarlane Halo figures. However I do agree that if I'm paying £100 for a set I want good quality.

[Brickdoctor]

I could've sworn there was a big existing discussion from a year or so ago about this, but I can't find it...

Anyways, I'm in the camp that generally prefers the yellow minifigs and simpler designs. My preference is for my LEGO minifigs to look like LEGO minifigs, and I think the older face designs do a better job of blending Star Wars with a LEGO-ish charm. As an aside, 'high quality print' doesn't mean 'complex print;' 'high quality print' refers to a print that doesn't rub off or fade or something like that. Therefore, a simple print can still be high quality, and I personally prefer the design aesthetic of the simpler designs.

Which is not to say I don't like any of the recent minifigs, because there are many cases, especially with minifig arm and leg printing, when I do like the newer prints, but I usually end up combining bits and pieces from both the older and the newer minifigs to get what I consider to be the best of both worlds.

Take Luke, for example: he has so many lines on his face that it makes him look downright ugly.

Didn't you hear? TLG snuck a prototype of Episode VII Old Luke into the set.

[Lind Whisperer]

I could've sworn there was a big existing discussion from a year or so ago about this, but I can't find it...

Anyways, I'm in the camp that generally prefers the yellow minifigs and simpler designs. My preference is for my LEGO minifigs to look like LEGO minifigs, and I think the older face designs do a better job of blending Star Wars with a LEGO-ish charm. As an aside, 'high quality print' doesn't mean 'complex print;' 'high quality print' refers to a print that doesn't rub off or fade or something like that. Therefore, a simple print can still be high quality, and I personally prefer the design aesthetic of the simpler designs.

Which is not to say I don't like any of the recent minifigs, because there are many cases, especially with minifig arm and leg printing, when I do like the newer prints, but I usually end up combining bits and pieces from both the older and the newer minifigs to get what I consider to be the best of both worlds.

I agree with what you said about the simpler designs. I prefer fleshies for licensed themes, and I do like it when I can find a modern fancy torso that matches up with what I'm trying to make, but there is a certain attractiveness to the way that they used to be made.

When it comes to yellow minifigs(we really need a slang word for those...), if they're for my planned town, I do prefer them simple for that, especially when it comes to face-prints.

Didn't you hear? TLG snuck a prototype of Episode VII Old Luke into the set.

[Archer]

I'm not bugged by the amount of printing and detail, it's the pace at which lego keeps "updating" figs that annoys me. Specifically rebel pilots, stormtroopers, and clones. THese figs looked best when they are uniform, but especially with the rebel pilots lego updates the look every year. At least this update is usually to make the figs more accurate, but it's not like the scource material has changed since 1999 (much).

It's funny how many iterations of pilot uniform we've had or the number of molds used for luke's hair, yet poor Chewy only just got him first update (not counting brown color change) Also I may be wrong, but I think the STAP battle droids are the only figs that have not been altered in any way since 1999.

[HawkLord]

I like the abundance of printing because at least it makes the repetitive characters worth getting. I've already got so many Luke's that I don't mind a new one with more printing, because I can always swap in one of my old ones.

Lego is a business that churns out lots of material and minifigures are so collectible, Lego needs to give them as much appeal on their own as possible.

[Smitty500]

some figures have way too much detail, Luke's has been one of the worse recently. I always liked the original Luke and original Han. I think it is funny how the original Luke face does not even resemble him, but we all know it to be Luke. I wish they would keep them simple at times, but I know it is just evolution of the brand, and also a way to keep up with customizers along with pushing sales by offering a new figure to the market of people who collect only the figures. Pretty smart Lego.

Also I may be wrong, but I think the STAP battle droids are the only figs that have not been altered in any way since 1999.

they better never come out with a new mold for battle droids, it wouldn't be right. Just like how they came out with a new mold for snow troopers, now it makes the old ones look like crap and sets off the balance of an army. Does anyone else see what I mean??

[BrickG]

The details aren't the issue. The issues is poor details that suck for a character. The modern Luke seems to have a chiseled face which is odd and doesn't fit the character.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Yeah, this has been a trend. I see the development of SW and licensed figures in 4 stages: yellow figures (which I like for their classic look), first flesh figures, more detailed flesh figures (my favorite), and the figures with excess detail. I think the problem with excessive printing is it creates a strong contrast with the unprinted parts of the figure. For instance, take the new 3PO and his incomplete leg prints.

Edited August 15, 2014 by johnnyvgoode

[JaseTJ]

I get what the others are saying about the relatively recent increase in printing, and I agree it's awesome, but at the same time I do understand what Lance is saying. Take Black Widow's face, for example... Didn't look a thing like her.

[ummester]

At what point does the LEGO minifg become more of a collectable action figure than LEGO parts?

I prefer flesh tones to yellow, purely because I like the idea of trying to make a build as realistic as possible. But I have a bunch of different Bobas, Lukes and 3POs and wish they were all the same.

It seems odd to me that Slave 1 Boba looks so different to Sail Barge Boba. (It's the first Sail barge and latest Salve 1, I think).

3PO, I guess, looks better the more gold he is. As long as his colour is right, meh, they are all the same. I have some odd coloured 3PO's and always hide them inside things - they are an embarrassment to protocol droids.

[Sir Walter Maugham]

Yeah! Let's go back to those 'great' 1980's figures where we'd be lucky to get any printing at all!

Jeez man.

I know what you mean Lancethecat, TLG has been going a bit overboard with the facial features/detail lately. However, I love that arm and leg prints have become so common.

[GallardoLU]

although it runs a risk of ruining a figure with too many lines (Sand crawler Luke is over detailed, but still looks decent enough) I am all for the Printing on all surfaces that TLG can manage. it’s my belief that in the short term there may be some growing pains from figures that just didn't come out quite right (Luke) it will inevitably lead to some of the best figures TLG will/has ever made. Look at the new GotG Drax the Destroyer if you want proof of that. Absolutely amazing figure and that was done with standard fig parts! just a Head, Chest, and Legs! No specialized parts.

[Brickdoctor]

although it runs a risk of ruining a figure with too many lines (Sand crawler Luke is over detailed, but still looks decent enough) I am all for the Printing on all surfaces that TLG can manage.

I don't think you can pin it down to a strict rule on how many lines to use — I do think your example looks pretty good. More detail isn't automatically bad in my view; it's rather a matter of knowing when to stop because you've already sufficiently captured the look of the character in a (disproportionate and slightly cartoonish) way that looks like it fits in with LEGO. Some designs do require more lines and printing on more surfaces; some don't.

[Cyberbricker]

Yeah! Let's go back to those 'great' 1980's figures where we'd be lucky to get any printing at all!

Take any figure from the Stars Wars wave in 1999 and put them next to a figure in 2014 - the difference in quality is staggering.

Frankly, if I'm being asked to find £100 for a set (invariably the 3rd version of it) I want figures that are works of art - start giving me arm printing too and the side leg printing we get on the CMF. I refuse to believe the cost of really going all out is anything more than pennies for Lego.

When they ask me to spent €100 for a set, I want figures that don't look like there faces are being held together by a clothespin and like they just fell into a paint bath! (more printing, more room for printing screw ups!)

If they finally get the printing right instead of all over the place, then I'm all for it!

Edited August 16, 2014 by Cyberbricker

[DarkKnight7]

As a designer, it's always preferable to be clean and balanced with a design, but for minifigures - the biggest key for me is capturing the look of the character as best as possible. Lego's designers learn from each wave they make what worked and didn't work design-wise, as I'm sure they will with these. Some were way too detailed and don't resemble the character (as our hate for Luke clearly shows), but others in my opinion were vastly improved (as I think General Veers and Ep.3 Obi Won are absolutely perfect!). The key with Lego minifigures is that there is a fine line where you can have just the right balance of detail and simplicity, and when you go over it the figure can look more like a mess than anything. If you can stay just short of that and really capture the character's look, than you can have the perfect minifigure.

The only thing I'm worried about is that with more realism in their designs, that Lego will start to go too far away from what makes them Lego - and start messing with the sparkle eye, which is essential for it to be LEGO. As long as they keep it in proportion, keep the sparkle, and aim for as much realism without forsaking the LEGO look and keep the balance between detailed and simplicity, then I'm all for the improvements.

[ablake90]

I get why minifigs were yellow from the start but for licensed themes it has to be flesh because yellow just clashes with amount of detail and the colour palettes used from the real world. The thing that gets me is the consistency for example Boba Fett gets toe printing yet the scout trooper is still waiting for helmet markings?

[eldiano]

I have a question what would a Grand Moff Tarkin minifig would like now compared to it's 2008 version? I bought the death star in May and I have been updating every minifigure that came with that set, I have pretty much every new version of all of them except the black c3po and Grand Moff Tarkin, I preordered the book where new Emperor Palpatine is included, but most importantly the only figure that looks way off is Gran Moff just because of his eyes, what would be a good face to match him?

Plus I actually love the details on the new vader that came with the summer set, what is crazy is that i haven't assembled any of the star wars sets I have, all I have done is just get minifigs, but love the detail.

[Darth Nader]

If by detail you mean excessive lines, such as the one for cheek bones, then yes.