Is the AFOL community became harder to please?

[YellowCorvette]

I know it's being a long time since the last time I'm being in this forum, but there's a reason for it.

For some reason, I find that the AFOL community starts to become harder to pleased with new sets release, like every new sets needs to be like a UCS, "High-End collector item", and "Well-built with complex build" or whatever. I know that these fans didn't represent the majority of the AFOL community, but is it really that the AFOL community has become harder and harder to pleases? 

[Andy D]

I do not think that the AFOL community has become harder to please, just that some are speaking more and maybe more disappointed with LEGO offerings.

For me there are sets that I enjoy and want and sets that I that hold no interest for me. This is not new, there is always going to be sets that I want and like and some that I don't.

Andy D

[Lyichir]

Nah, we've always been incorrigible. 

Mind you, I have noticed that as Lego advances in certain areas, fans do tend to expect those advancements across the board. For instance, once dual-molded legs were introduced, fans began complaining any time a figure that could have hypothetically used them didn't. But those parts are more complex, and thus are not only more expensive but also have a more limited production capacity. Only Lego's newest, most advanced molding machines (which they have a comparably smaller number of) can be used for dual molded parts. Those parts also take longer to mold, and defective parts that are molded with multiple plastic colors can't be recycled into new parts. With all that in mind, it's unsurprising that this technology hasn't yet completely replaced printed solutions for figures with shorts or boots.

This is just one example. In terms of the overall fandom it's a relatively minor issue, but fans often don't recognize that even at their current level of success Lego has to work within certain constraints and not every set is going to be able to have the same sorts of advantages.

[deraven]

I think Lyichir summed it up pretty well.  There are always folks who will be hard to please in any large enough sample size, but overall I don't think it's changed all that much.  I think another way to say it would be that while people haven't become harder to please on average, Lego has raised the bar in so many areas that people have become easier to disappoint.  Designs that would have been lauded 5 years ago are less impressive comparatively now, and so draw criticism that they wouldn't have seen before.  That's my 2 cents, anyway.  

[Vindicare]

I don't think so. It seems to me that when a new, large set is released, you get a pretty even mix of those who like or love it to those who don't.

[koalayummies]

Some AFOL need to stop perpetually wishing and asking for Lego to make things for them and instead make it themselves. Making your own creations is the pinnacle of Lego building. Its a construction toy with practically unlimited possibility. Instead of complaining about things one sees wrong with a set or wanting Lego to produce something just for them they should change it to their liking or build it themselves.

Between LDD/LDraw, Pick A Brick, Bricklink, Ebay, Brickset, constant introduction of new pieces and the largest color palette in Lego history this probably the best time to be an AFOL and its only going to get better. 

[Stash2Sixx]

Also, if you're basing your assumptions on the AFOL community from the members of EB...let's be honest.  I'm sure there are a lot of members here who are NOT adults, yet claim to be.

t's tough to give an honest answer.  When I worked retail at ???, I was approached by many people, who were AFOLs.  Many of them were ok, meaning they didn't complain about everything.  Then there were those that decided that everything is horrible!  These are also the people who expect LEGO to cater directly to them.  The difference is you cannot classify all AFOLs into one group and treat them the same.  The guy who is in a LUG and just walked in to tell you he is looking for 3 parts on the PAB wall PROBABLY DOES NOT KNOW the next guy that will walk in the door and complain about how much he spends and how TLG is just ruining everything nowadays.  Huge differences...and I don't think that many of the powers that be with the retail side of ??? separate the two types.  My two cents...

[BrickJagger]

5 hours ago, YellowCorvette said:

I know it's being a long time since the last time I'm being in this forum, but there's a reason for it.

For some reason, I find that the AFOL community starts to become harder to pleased with new sets release, like every new sets needs to be like a UCS, "High-End collector item", and "Well-built with complex build" or whatever. I know that these fans didn't represent the majority of the AFOL community, but is it really that the AFOL community has become harder and harder to pleases? 

Part of this has to do with the fact that the AFOL community is rapidly expanding and is bigger than it has ever been. When a new set is released, there are more people with opinions than there used to be. 

[lifeinplastic]

I think the introduction of licensed themes has introduced a lot of 'collectors' to the hobby rather than 'builders', and Lego now has to try to compete against action figure companies. For example, the seemingly endless number of Super Hero or Disney characters mean collectors want a version of even the most obscure ones (or multiple versions of standard characters). I sometimes feel that some Lego sets have just become glorified action figure sets with some token bricks added. When fans list sets they'd like to see, they are mainly just listing characters they want. In my opinion it's a shame that Lego then neglect to expand on some of the bricks and parts available like providing a far greater range of trees, hedges, window shapes, animals and accessories.

[Aanchir]

4 hours ago, lifeinplastic said:

I think the introduction of licensed themes has introduced a lot of 'collectors' to the hobby rather than 'builders', and Lego now has to try to compete against action figure companies. For example, the seemingly endless number of Super Hero or Disney characters mean collectors want a version of even the most obscure ones (or multiple versions of standard characters). I sometimes feel that some Lego sets have just become glorified action figure sets with some token bricks added. When fans list sets they'd like to see, they are mainly just listing characters they want. In my opinion it's a shame that Lego then neglect to expand on some of the bricks and parts available like providing a far greater range of trees, hedges, window shapes, animals and accessories.

I don't think it's fair to blame the amount of complaining in the community on collectors and licensed themes, especially when your own comment sounds pretty "hard to please" itself. Even with the increasing number of character-driven themes, I can hardly think of a lot of modern sets that just include "some token bricks", and frankly in the days before licensed themes there were lots of sets with even more emphasis on figures and less emphasis on building than many of today's most character-driven sets — https://brickset.com/sets/6247-1/Bounty-Boat and https://brickset.com/sets/6021-1/Jousting-Knights are almost entirely figure parts and accessories, whereas today's low-priced sets like https://brickset.com/sets/70606-1/Spinjitzu-Training or https://brickset.com/sets/76072-1/Mighty-Micros-Iron-Man-vs-Thanos have far more actual building elements for similar overall prices.

[Tariq j]

I think people forget, that Lego at heart, is a kids toy, so not everything is going to be perfect. I think another thing is Lego's standards, if Lego makes an good UCS set (like Slave I for example), people expect the next UCS set to be just as good, if not better. Because we know what Lego are capable of. 

I do agree there are some fans who will never be happy, you could hand them a perfect minifigure on a golden plate and there would still be something to complain about.

[YellowCorvette]

On 8/21/2017 at 0:38 AM, Tariq j said:

I think people forget, that Lego at heart, is a kids toy, so not everything is going to be perfect. I think another thing is Lego's standards, if Lego makes an good UCS set (like Slave I for example), people expect the next UCS set to be just as good, if not better. Because we know what Lego are capable of.

That's exactly what I always thing of what Lego really is. As big of a community the AFOL community is, Lego is still a kids toy company in the first place more than something like Hot Toys. 

[Lyichir]

Here's a funny observation I made earlier that's sort of related to this subject—it usually doesn't seem to take long between Lego's introduction of a brand, category, or tagline for Lego fans to come up with their own opinions of what it means and start making their own judgments on what does or doesn't belong.

This is most commonly observed with Ultimate Collectors Series. After being vaguely/inconsistently defined for many years, Lego finally set a clear standard for it several years back when they started including specific UCS branding on all D2C Star Wars sets. Unfortunately, this was a lot broader than what Lego fans had long considered it to refer to, and since then I've seen models including Assault on Hoth but also more well-received models like the Sandcrawler lambasted for not being "true" UCS models.

What really made me notice that this trend wasn't just limited to Star Wars was with the Winter Village Train Station, which I've seen people criticize for not "qualifying" as Creator Expert due to being perceived as less complex than some other sets with that branding. That's despite Creator Expert having clearly defined branding since its inception—namely, a label for the kinds of large D2C models which generally featured no theme branding at all before they were made into a sub-brand of the Creator theme. It has never had anything to do with any particular level of complexity besides that which comes naturally to larger sets. And it'd make zero sense for a Winter Village set to be released under a different brand than all the other Winter Village sets it is meant to complement.

[Gnac]

On 20/08/2017 at 5:38 PM, Tariq j said:

is a kids toy, so not everything is going to be perfect

You mean "exactly what we want".

Potential aspirations of being a set designer would fall to bits reading stuff like this.

[paul_delahaye]

I think also there is consideration to be made for the progress Lego has made in the sets, the available elements, and in some ways we have been spoilt over the years.  Thinking back to the early days.  We were blown away in the 80's with the new minifigures, city, garage doors and trains, etc. with such a small selection of elements.  

But now we know Lego can make exceptional sets, we are then disappointed when there is a theme or year where the sets are just not quite as good.  I'm sure there is something to be said for Lego now trying to be a more profitable company.  I look at the box size and think of the price I would expect the set to be.  But this is my memory of childhood set pricing often.  I'm sure pricing is the main problem, if the set was cheap, we would not complain about the features, design, etc.  We would just see it as a way to obtain cheap bricks.

 

[JanetVanD]

With the vast array of sets of all sizes and themes that TLG puts out every year, what's the point in complaining about one or two? If you don't like a set, don't buy it! There's such a big selection; just choose another one!

[Angeli]

a 1000 people - a 1000 mindsets :)

plus people tend to be hearded and they act like others act - it is simply nature of most people. You can;t change it (maybe you shouldn;t, like a chicken is not ment to fly, and eagle is not ment to be grounded - everything has some explanation

I think that what is changed is that community is more heard today then a decade or more ago, and TLG is activly being part of conversation. People tend to change tone of talk when talking to the company, and have sturider, more critique attitude - which can be both good and not, depending on a tone and idea

I think we aso get used on a quality set, and tend to rise the bar, which is also a good and a bad thing :)

All in all, balance in the universe :)