The Future of Lego Space. (opinions, ideas, discussion)

[icm]

Mods, please delete this post if it's totally out of place in this thread.

That spaceship in the Overwatch line sure is cool.  The general shape reminds me a lot of the rocket from the Mars Mission base, and the red tower looks like the best rocket service structure since the 1995 space shuttle set.  I'll be really disappointed if it can't seat at least two figures and hold some kind of deployable vehicle like a rover, satellite, or mini-flyer, or have some other cool play feature, since it looks like there's plenty of room in the aft fuselage.  It doesn't look like it comes with wheels or landing pads of any kind, though, which is a shame.

However, the fact that we're getting this super-cool spaceship in the Overwatch line does reinforce the complaints of AFOLs who want a traditional Space line. We've had no shortage of cool spaceships since Galaxy Squad, but only a handful that have their origins directly and immediately in a Lego toy line: the Benny ship, the Systar ship, the Batman shuttle, and a few Freemaker and Yoda Chronicles ships.  

EDIT: There's clearly some kind of hinge in the mid-fuselage area, but there's a suspicious lack of play features on the back of the box.  Guess we'll just have to wait for more pictures to see what's under the hood.

Edited October 23, 2018 by icm
Added last paragraph.

[Digger of Bricks]

By the way, for any visitors to this topic that aren't aware of this LEGO Ideas project yet...

LEGO Ideas - LL497 Galactic Explorer by Peter Reid 

8 hours ago, icm said:

That spaceship in the Overwatch line sure is cool.  The general shape reminds me a lot of the rocket from the Mars Mission base, and the red tower looks like the best rocket service structure since the 1995 space shuttle set.  I'll be really disappointed if it can't seat at least two figures and hold some kind of deployable vehicle like a rover, satellite, or mini-flyer, or have some other cool play feature, since it looks like there's plenty of room in the aft fuselage.  It doesn't look like it comes with wheels or landing pads of any kind, though, which is a shame.

Here's that spaceship in question for anyone else wondering...

The Brothers Brick - Full lineup of LEGO Blizzard Overwatch sets revealed, available in January [News]  

[danth]

14 hours ago, icm said:

That spaceship in the Overwatch line sure is cool.  The general shape reminds me a lot of the rocket from the Mars Mission base, and the red tower looks like the best rocket service structure since the 1995 space shuttle set...the fact that we're getting this super-cool spaceship in the Overwatch line does reinforce the complaints of AFOLs who want a traditional Space line.

My thoughts as well. It's a great looking design. Nothing like the tired, boring, gray Star Wars retreads we keep getting. Seems like there are plenty of fresh space ship designs out there.

So...why can't we have a non-licensed Space theme with stuff like this? 

[Exetrius]

18 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Well, at long last, here are some of our first LEGO Overwatch sets! 

The Brick Fan - LEGO Overwatch Official Images Found at Target 

 

That's a trans green canopy right there! Good for some neo classic Space Police. Love these sets btw, great spaceships!

[danth]

I assume it's trans light green vs. the old trans green, but I'm not sure. Cool either way though. 

[Captain Mutant]

I like that spaceship, and its launch tower. I know nothing of Overwatch, but I fear I'm going to have to add that set to my collection :)

[Lyichir]

2 hours ago, danth said:

I assume it's trans light green vs. the old trans green, but I'm not sure. Cool either way though. 

They're definitely classic Trans. Green—Trans. Bright Green is much glowier. Also, I remember seeing the parts in that color when other 2019 parts started showing up early on a certain online parts database. I had thought they might be for the new Ninjago Ultra Dragon set, but this makes more sense.

 

[makoy]

I like the space vibe that Overwatch included in the licensed LEGO theme. I'm surprised how I instantly like them even if I am not really a fan of the game.

The robots translate quite well to LEGO design as well. Looking forward to this set, but I'm still not losing hope on Classic Space  

[Digger of Bricks]

23 hours ago, Exetrius said:

That's a trans green canopy right there! Good for some neo classic Space Police.

Looks like a Trans-Dark Green recolor of this one if you ask me: Brickset - 92474

[bondp99]

On 10/23/2018 at 1:24 PM, Digger of Bricks said:

By the way, for any visitors to this topic that aren't aware of this LEGO Ideas project yet...

LEGO Ideas - LL497 Galactic Explorer by Peter Reid 

Wow! That would be so cool 

[danth]

22 hours ago, Lyichir said:

They're definitely classic Trans. Green—Trans. Bright Green is much glowier.

Well I'm glad to be wrong in this case. 

[Space Police XVIII]

On 10/22/2018 at 9:03 PM, Digger of Bricks said:

The Brick Fan - LEGO Overwatch Official Images Found at Target

are lego designers allergic to knees or something?

[Exetrius]

9 hours ago, Space Police XVIII said:

are lego designers allergic to knees or something?

Definitely. Knees wil reduce the structural integrity, increase the complexity of the build and may make finding stable poses less easy and possibly frustrating for both kids and adults. It's a shame, I know. Here's a thread specifically dedicated to the issue: https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/106389-mechs-without-knees/

 

[M'Kyuun]

I find it rather interesting, if not bemusing, that there's a whole thread dedicated to the kneelessness of LEGO mecha. :)  While it's almost universally, and I agree, sadly, true, the Agents Robo Attack and the more recent Nexo-Knights King's Mech sets are rare exceptions.

As for pondering the future of LEGO Space, given the trend over the past decade or so, licensed IPs are going to continually fill that theme, with occasional exceptions, like Benny's Spaceship, or the Ideas Exo-Suit. Galaxy Squad was LEGO's last original space theme, and that was five years ago. Like everyone else here, I assume, I would love to see Space as an evergreen theme (it's supposedly evergreen, but evidence seems sparce to that effect), especially considering that the Space theme really gave LEGO the boost in popularity, along with the introduction of the minifigs, that led to its success. Space was certainly my theme of choice growing up, and it seems a shame to me that today's generation of kids don't really have that same experience, as Star Wars has all but dominated that theme. I don't know why a homegrown theme and SW can't exist side-by-side on the shelves, but apparently the marketing folks at LEGO don't think so. 

For now, I'm looking forward to whatever spacy sets the LEGO Movie 2 will provide, as it's a nice respite to Star Wars, and hopefully it'll showcase the designers' creativity in ways they can't do with licensed properties, much like the first LEGO Movie, the Ninjago Movie, and the Batman Movie, all of which had a myriad of innovative and interesting builds.

[Exetrius]

A pink Classic Space torso (like the green one from the Exo Suit) has showed up on Instagram!!

I bet it's from TLM2, so I wonder who will be wearing it. However, it also reminded me of that Ideas contest where you had to design a Space themed gift with purchase set.

[Captain Mutant]

Just now, Exetrius said:

A pink Classic Space torso (like the green one from the Exo Suit) has showed up on Instagram!!

IS there a link to this photo?

[Exetrius]

1 minute ago, Captain Mutant said:

IS there a link to this photo?

Yes, there is, but posting it here is against the EB policy. 

Spoiler

Browsing the #legoleaks tag will get you there, though.

 

[Trekkie99]

4 minutes ago, Exetrius said:

I bet it's from TLM2.

Me thinks that maybe Benny is getting a girlfriend. 

[Captain Mutant]

3 minutes ago, Exetrius said:

Yes, there is, but posting it here is against the EB policy. 

  Hide contents

Browsing the #legoleaks tag will get you there, though.

Thanks - it's a little basic for my liking - I find the intergalactic girl did the pink spacesuit perfectly ;)

https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/minifigures/characters/intergalactic-girl-4ead934665db4f7eb37538ffa2f3d642

 

[Digger of Bricks]

1 hour ago, Exetrius said:

Yes, there is, but posting it here is against the EB policy. 

  Reveal hidden contents

Browsing the #legoleaks tag will get you there, though.

 

A clearer and broader picture of the leak posted over on Flickr shows the figure with a classic minifigure head (without helmet). Plus, it's flanked by a Yellow and a White Classic Spaceman figures (also with classic minifigure heads and no helmets). 

[Aanchir]

49 minutes ago, Digger of Bricks said:

A clearer and broader picture of the leak posted over on Flickr shows the figure with a classic minifigure head (without helmet). Plus, it's flanked by a Yellow and a White Classic Spaceman figures (also with classic minifigure heads and no helmets). 

If ALL of those are leaked figures, then it's a real surprise, considering that LEGO had previously stopped making yellow minifig hips pieces on the grounds that they didn't want to make figures that looked nude. Mind you, I haven't seen the pictures. It's also possible that actual classic figures might have been photographed alongside the pink one as a point of comparison, or that one or all of the figures are customs rather than actual leaks. Hard to say.

[danth]

Wow! Super stoked! I hope this means we'll get some cool Classic Space stuff out of the new movie!

[Digger of Bricks]

On 11/7/2018 at 1:16 PM, danth said:

Wow! Super stoked! I hope this means we'll get some cool Classic Space stuff out of the new movie!

Looks like at least two sets from the sequel's tie-in theme will be pertaining to Benny and company. 

• Emmet and Benny’s Workshop (70821)
• Benny’s Space Team (70841)

[icm]

It looks like the new City road plates are light grey instead of dark grey.  That's perfect for a Classic Space moonbase, considering that we haven't had light gray road plates since the mid-80s and we haven't had lunar landing plates since 1979.  I think I'll have to buy three or four straight plates to serve as a lunar runway for the Overwatch rocket and drone, plus some wheels so they can use it.  The poor things don't have any landing gear of any kind.

Edited November 19, 2018 by icm

[danth]

22 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Looks like at least two sets from the sequel's tie-in theme will be pertaining to Benny and company. 

• Emmet and Benny’s Workshop (70821)
• Benny’s Space Team (70841)

This might be the best thing to ever happen, ever. Time will tell!