Minidolls... Action Themes Ideas

[Lady Bone Demon]

Knights of Valor being fake bums me out... should have seen it coming given his track record but I was actually excited for a new original minidoll theme.

[Aanchir]

On 4/28/2020 at 5:04 PM, Peppermint_M said:

A true space opera style minidoll theme would be super. Rayguns and colourful aliens, exploration, maybe a diva of a Space Empress to provide the conflict. A real Raygun Gothic aesthetic with a lot of colour.

Agreed, I could really dig something like that. It could perhaps even reuse some of Sweet Mayhem's molds from The LEGO Movie 2. I could see this working very nicely with a Star Trek style storyline where a crew of protagonists travels to different planets, doing their best to aid any local inhabitants they meet along the way.

Space also is a great fit for other stuff that suits the action/adventure theme formula, like exciting "action play" features and individualized protagonists with color-coded outfits. And since themes like Friends and Elves have typically gone into more detail with interior role-play elements and interiors, that sort of theme could be a great opportunity to embrace those strengths in a more futuristic setting. Imagine a starship for the theme's heroes that includes enough sleeping quarters for the entire four- or five-person crew, plus a futuristic kitchen/galley, and accessories tailored to each hero's mission specialties. Maybe even a cute robotic pet!

On 2/3/2022 at 4:35 PM, Flaming Bricks said:

Question, why can't you move minidoll legs? The legs are stuck together, but they can bend forward. I prefer minifigures, but I understand that minidolls are more focused towards girls. Minidolls look more human like, instead of being blocky, which makes sense to make them more realistic.

I think the narrower hips of the mini-doll are the main reason the legs aren't individually articulated. The hip-to-leg connection for traditional minifigures is already much more delicate than most other sorts of LEGO hinges. So I suspect that fitting individual hinges for each leg into an even smaller space was out of the question once it was clear that more human-like proportions were one of the main things needed to reach the kids who minifigures didn't already appeal to.

There were a number of prototype mini-doll designs that did have individually articulated legs, including ones resembling classic minifigure legs — but evidently they didn't end up testing as well as ones with more organic-looking body shapes.

Additionally, one strength of the style of hip joint used for mini-dolls is that mini-dolls with floor-length dresses or mermaid tails can all bend just as freely at the hip as mini-dolls with shorter skirts or trousers. By comparison, traditional minifigures with full dresses/gowns can't bend their legs at all, and ones with molded or fabric skirts often can't fully bend their legs forward.

Frankly, when you think about the sorts of design features that mini-doll characters often feature, it becomes clear that a lot of them would have considerable limitations if they'd stuck to the traditional minifigure's general shape. A LOT of mini-doll characters wear skirts, dresses, or gowns of varying styles. Additionally, they often have detailed shoes such as sneakers or sandals, which would be hard to depict in the same detail on the traditional minifigure's tiny, square feet. And a lot of them have long hair, which tends to restrict head rotation against the traditional minifigure's large, blocky shoulders.

When considered from this perspective, features like a single, centrally-placed hip joint, flexible rubber hair, and feet with a large instep to allow for printed details like sandal straps, buckles, or shoelaces make a lot of sense!

Edited February 8, 2022 by Aanchir

[Lady Bone Demon]

3 hours ago, Aanchir said:

Agreed, I could really dig something like that. It could perhaps even reuse some of Sweet Mayhem's molds from The LEGO Movie 2. I could see this working very nicely with a Star Trek style storyline where a crew of protagonists travels to different planets, doing their best to aid any local inhabitants they meet along the way.

Space also is a great fit for other stuff that suits the action/adventure theme formula, like exciting "action play" features and individualized protagonists with color-coded outfits. And since themes like Friends and Elves have typically gone into more detail with interior role-play elements and interiors, that sort of theme could be a great opportunity to embrace those strengths in a more futuristic setting. Imagine a starship for the theme's heroes that includes enough sleeping quarters for the entire four- or five-person crew, plus a futuristic kitchen/galley, and accessories tailored to each hero's mission specialties. Maybe even a cute robotic pet!

I think the narrower hips of the mini-doll are the main reason the legs aren't individually articulated. The hip-to-leg connection for traditional minifigures is already much more delicate than most other sorts of LEGO hinges. So I suspect that fitting individual hinges for each leg into an even smaller space was out of the question once it was clear that more human-like proportions were one of the main things needed to reach the kids who minifigures didn't already appeal to.

There were a number of prototype mini-doll designs that did have individually articulated legs, including ones resembling classic minifigure legs — but evidently they didn't end up testing as well as ones with more organic-looking body shapes.

Additionally, one strength of the style of hip joint used for mini-dolls is that mini-dolls with floor-length dresses or mermaid tails can all bend just as freely at the hip as mini-dolls with shorter skirts or trousers. By comparison, traditional minifigures with full dresses/gowns can't bend their legs at all, and ones with molded or fabric skirts often can't fully bend their legs forward.

Frankly, when you think about the sorts of design features that mini-doll characters often feature, it becomes clear that a lot of them would have considerable limitations if they'd stuck to the traditional minifigure's general shape. A LOT of mini-doll characters wear skirts, dresses, or gowns of varying styles. Additionally, they often have detailed shoes such as sneakers or sandals, which would be hard to depict in the same detail on the traditional minifigure's tiny, square feet. And a lot of them have long hair, which tends to restrict head rotation against the traditional minifigure's large, blocky shoulders.

When considered from this perspective, features like a single, centrally-placed hip joint, flexible rubber hair, and feet with a large instep to allow for printed details like sandal straps, buckles, or shoelaces make a lot of sense!

Ive always hated people who dismiss minidolls and this is a great writeup on how cleverly they were designed and how they accomplish stuff that minifigures can't. You almost never see Minifigures with skirts and if you do it is a cape material or a print which never looks particularly great. It's just another subsystem for characters.