skeleton design discussion (new and old)...

[trooperdavinfelth]

I voted classic because I have more of them. :-| Yoda really is right; it all depends on use.

[Siegfried]

I love the old ones. I can never have enough of them. (I especially like the old head.) But it looks like the one that I recieved in AquaBase Invasion might be my last... Even so, I plan to buy many of the new castle line as while I prefer the old, I don't hate the new.

[Brick Miner]

Well I am up for a third option here !! Something like "all depending on use"

yes, that does make sense, yoda.

though, SW4J has a great image here...

i love the way that old skeleton is dragging. thanks for sharing that 4J. that position is much how i would expect a reanimated skeleton to be. so, personally, i would use the old over the new in either case.

there is somthing unhuman (or at least un-minifig, as ravensdorn pointed out) about the movment of the old skeletons. things that are less like us, and less predicatble (like the movement of the old skeletons arms) are scary *skull*

- BM

[simonwillems]

I voted for the classic!

Why do skeletons need to hold things, they are dead people or aren't they? Dead.... *skull*

[Klaus-Dieter]

I like the old skeleton design much more than the new design. The reason for this is that the older design is indeed spooky but not - like the new design which is more an undead than a skeleton - too horrible. Furthermore it looks much more realistic than the new design.

[Athos]

I prefer the old ones. I don't like the new arms. I do like that they are more poseable, but they are also just too long. They look more like gorilla skeletons than people.

Plus, I hate changes to existing pieces, as it makes compatability a problem...

Steve

[john cleese]

The main reason i hate the new skellies is the same reason i boo'd bley. This sort of change creates inconsistencies in your collection. Say you want an army of skeletons, atleast 100, only problem is 50 are old skellies and 50 are the new ones. I wouldnt even want the new skeletons in 'my' army because the arms are too friggn long! I'm sure it wouldnt've been that hard for lego to just make the old skellie arms stronger. New skellies a definate *n* from me.

Edited July 5, 2007 by john cleese

[Siegfried]

Whereas the new skeletons can only hold their weapon at a slight angle. It's not even enough of an angle to slice with! It's just 'slightly off center', which makes no sense at all:

I at last bought a set (two actually 7093 and 7090) with the new skeleton and I agree. The angle that the arms are at makes me keep wanting to straighten the arms, even though I can't. Even so, I don't hate the new ones, I just prefer the old.

[Doctor Sinister]

I voted for the old design - this thread says it all, but better articulation and "proper" arms swing it for me.

Dr. S.

[iamded]

I really can't decide. The new ones look like stiff corpses, yet the old ones look like limp animated dead, or just ancient corpses. So far the old design outnumbers my new skeletons (6.5:5). I'd imagine they'd look rather horrifying to a minifig, dragging their weapons along behind them, straggling along. Yet the new ones are stiff, wielding their weapons with purpose and strength, riding their demonic steeds... rawr... :-P

I guess I'll go with the old ones. I love the heads on the new skeletons, but it looks ridiculous on the old bodies, I've grown used to them having long arms and having regular arms looks silly. X-D

[Cutty]

I agree to the statement made above that it needn't necessarily be difficult for Lego to adapt the old round skellie arm design to fit the new torso mold.

I think that way would have been the key to keep consistency in the design as a whole.

Someone should perhaps try to customize a pice out of an old skeleton arm, with the hind ball-joint part removed, and a white clip attached. I doubt it wouldn't come out right on spot of what had been needed.

So my verdict upon inspecting the corpus delicty myself: I prefer the old design.

[El Bucanero]

Here are my two cents:

Both have advantages!

If you need "dead" skeletons, lying all over the place, you best be using the old arms because the have don't need to be posed in any way.

If you want "living" or posing skeletons your best of with the new design I think...

But if it comes to the looks, I prefer the classic skeleton. The new arms are to friggin' long and straight. If they would use a droid arm (although with the hands posed differently) it would already look a bit better...

Mr Tiber

[TheCloneWalker]

Call me a traitor to the old Skellies, but I actually prefer the new ones. The arms look robotic as they are to be used on a variety if things, for example battle droids will now have a tan one of their arms, so they can hold the new guns properly.

Also, the faces look more.... possesed, as if the magic animating them is causing their eye sockets to glow red. So overall, I quite like 'em. Please don't Flame me for my opinion.

Skellies On! *skull*

TheCloneWalker

[iamded]

But if it comes to the looks, I prefer the classic skeleton. The new arms are to friggin' long and straight. If they would use a droid arm (although with the hands posed differently) it would already look a bit better...

Mr Tiber

Actually, I tested that with General Grevious' white bent droid arms. If they were straight, they would be longer than the new ones. But with them bend at the angle, the are the same length as the straight ones. Weird huh?

[blueandwhite]

As I don't use skeletons for anything other than corpses (and parts), I really don't care if they can hold a weapon forward. The new skeles just don't look that good with their robotic monkey arms. Moreover, the new heads with the glowing red eyes aren't exactly what I consider useful. Of course, if the undead thing is your thing, I can understand why you might like the new skeles.

[TheCloneWalker]

As I don't use skeletons for anything other than corpses (and parts), I really don't care if they can hold a weapon forward. The new skeles just don't look that good with their robotic monkey arms. Moreover, the new heads with the glowing red eyes aren't exactly what I consider useful. Of course, if the undead thing is your thing, I can understand why you might like the new skeles.

Yup, undead sure IS my thing. I would like to build up a whole army of these guys, as I've started work on a stronghold for them. Unfortunately, in the UK the only sets available are the 3 cheapest ones, the chess set and Skeleton Ship Attack. And I won't buy the chess one for my army because I would A: lose the pieces and not be able to play chess; B: I detest black skellies.

I'm also trying to figure out the best way to make a zombie (HP troll head, or Frankenstein's monster's head?)

Undead On! *skull*

TheCloneWalker

P.S. Don't get your hopes up to see The Necromancer's Stronghold anytime soon, it's still in the planning stage.

[Wout]

I like the new arms, but they are indeed to long. Maybe if they make a bow in it, like the old droid arms, it is maybe better.

[Brick Miner]

I'm also trying to figure out the best way to make a zombie (HP troll head, or Frankenstein's monster's head?)

i think the new HP "mandrake" heads are a prefect pattern and color for zombies. along with the HP troll, i have a couple western zombies i've made with them.

- BM

[oo7]

The Complete Comprehensive List of Zombie Heads!

Possible additions?

[Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn]

I tried the tissue-in-joint for the old skellies, and...

.... AWESOME! *skull*

[Siegfried]

The Complete Comprehensive List of Zombie Heads!

Nice collection. I love the new Harry Potter one. It looks like it would make a great alien.

I believe is a Death Eater.

[Berry Syedow]

Back on topic: I'm kind of undecided, here. On one hand I prefer the new torso design, but on the other hand I prefer the style of the original skeleton arm. Preferably, TLC would have redesigned the original skeleton arm to go along with the new skeleton torso. Alas, they substituted the redesigned droid arm to save money instead. While that's a good idea in theory, people are going to be dissatisfied with the end product, which this poll (along with the comments) does a good job of showing...

We can always hope TLC releases a proper skeleton arm, though. If they do my vote will go to the new skeleton torso, but until then I shall remain undecided.

[Norrington]

@oo7: I think that the Ron Wesley head works, but not the Death Eater. It works better for Jason Vorhees...

@Helden Ravensdorn: Cool! I help someone with something I found on Brick Shelf! Yay for helping!

[SWMAN]

The old skeletons were nice, but too wobly. You couldn't have it hold anything becuase its arm would fly everywhere. The new ones aren't perfect, but they can hold stuff. Lego needs to add twistable hands.

[oo7]

It looks like it would make a great alien.

Mhh.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunechaser/519425065/

@oo7: I think that the Ron Wesley head works, but not the Death Eater. It works better for Jason Vorhees...

Nah, that's clearly a hockey goalie's mask. Not my first choice.....