Technic 2018 Set Discussion

[Saberwing40k]

I've got to say, I was hoping that the other 1st half sets would be okay, but looking at the pictures, it looks pretty bad.

The photos are too blurry to read the numbers, but I've got to say:

Little Fire Truck: Oh joy, a two function set. It's not even an interesting fire truck. But, it's a small set, and at least it looks okay. Shame it has no recolors.

Catamaran Yacht: Oh look, it's another City set, made out of Technic parts. What functions could this even have?

Hovercraft: Oh yuck.  Again, it's a City set, made out of Technic parts, and it looks absolutely terrible. Just, everything's wrong.

Rally Car: Please oh please have a transmission, maybe with new clutch gears. I ain't getting my hopes up though.

All in all, with a lot of this year's line, and last year's, the Technic team have really dropped the ball. Seriously, Lego? Technic is not F@#$%^g City, or Duplo. It's about functions, and authenticity.  In any other line, quality of this level would not fly. But, maybe it will get better come toy fair. And, we've got a Mack truck, which I hope is good. Also, I think Lego should continue the 40th anniversary celebration, because Technic first came to America in 1978.

More on the Mack, I think it will be in scale with 42043, and it certainly uses the gear racks, and probably the holders, as outriggers. Not my favorite kind of truck, but it overall looks like a great set. Let's hope it actually looks good.

[Jim]

7 hours ago, Leonardo da Bricki said:

Looking at the other sets in the terrible quality photo, I will say that the rally car looks like trash. 

You are of course entitled to your opinion, but I'd suggest refraining from words as "trash". First of all these are prelim images. Second, we know that sets always look better when the final product has been launched (42069). Since TLG employees and designers are reading this too, it would be nice if we show some respect and use other words.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

1 hour ago, Saberwing40k said:

More on the Mack, I think it will be in scale with 42043

The silhouette seems to indicate it will have tyres of 42053 Volvo or 42035 Mining Truck.

[Jim]

5 hours ago, z3_2drive said:

Rally car doesn't look very good in the photos. Hopefully it looks better in person/with revisions.

This is a good example of how to show respect, while having a negative opinion 

[Ngoc Nguyen]

I think the blue in the catamaran yacht is, sadly, dark azure (the 42070 one). I believe the yacht is also intended to be a cheap part supply for the rare panel 5 & 6 (3x11) in yellow. They have only appeared so far in 3 sets, and its last appearance was in 2011.

Edited August 23, 2017 by nguyengiangoc

[Jim]

Just now, nguyengiangoc said:

I think the blue in the catamaran yacht is, sadly, dark azure (the 42070 one).

You probably mean "Yes, the catamaran is dark azure whoop whoop" 

(I do like dark azure best, did it show?!)

[Ngoc Nguyen]

@Jim You're right hehe I like the look of the catamaran most in all of those sets. I just said so in order to be politically correct, which includes decrying dark azure and the so-called color vomit.

[Saberwing40k]

Well, it's something to have more of a recently introduced color, but I think it's been overdone. There are too many colors, in my opinion. Do we really need 3 light blues? 

The yacht actually looks okay, and does not really suffer from color barf, from that tiny picture.

[Alex Ilea]

To me the rally car looks awesome! Have you seen that 5x11 blue panol? Anyways, the sets look alright.

[Void_S]

May be it's just a wrong bad quality photo, but I found some interesting things:

42071 "Dozer Compactor" - has two DBG axle-pin parts at the blade sides.

42072 "WHACK!" - has at least three 3L pins in DBG color, look at the front bull-bar and fake engine that jumps-out after a crash.

42073 "BASH!" - the same situation, at least three 3L pins in DBG color at the same places.

Once again, probably I get wrong, but seems that TLG is trying to replace the annoying blue pins by a more neutral dark bluish gray ones.

[Jim]

42 minutes ago, Saberwing40k said:

Well, it's something to have more of a recently introduced color, but I think it's been overdone. There are too many colors, in my opinion. Do we really need 3 light blues? 

I think that TLG is turning to dark azure as their preferred color blue. Not based on any information, just a feeling I have. Dark azure works well with a lot of different colors.  So the previous light blues will not be used often anymore.

[Bartybum]

I don't understand why Whack and Bash, both Lego Racers vehicles, are even part of the Technic lineup at all. This isn't what Technic should be about :( I wholeheartedly feel that the low price racing vehicles should be in the Lego Racers theme like they used to be - the two new small sets this year, 42059, 42058, 42047, 42046, 42034, 42033, 42027, 42026, 42011 and 42010 don't belong in Technic at all

Edited August 23, 2017 by Bartybum

[LEGOFANNER]

3 hours ago, Saberwing40k said:

Rally Car: Please oh please have a transmission, maybe with new clutch gears. I ain't getting my hopes up though.

I think the big car is a new Supercar.

Edited August 23, 2017 by LEGOFANNER

[Jim]

Just now, LEGOFANNER said:

I think the big car is a new Supercar.

Please don't quote the entire post. Especially when you aren't even referring to it.

And let's stick to the set discussion. We all know there will be a big car project in 2018, so your answer is of little value.

[Maaboo the Witch]

6 minutes ago, Bartybum said:

I don't understand why Whack and Bash, both Lego Racers vehicles, are even part of the Technic lineup at all. This isn't what Technic should be about :( I wholeheartedly feel that the low price racing vehicles should be in the Lego Racers theme like they used to be - the two new small sets this year, 42059, 42058, 42047, 42046, 42034, 42033, 42027, 42026, 42011 and 42010 don't belong in Technic at all

The pull-back sets do usually come with some great parts, like lime hubs or Bohrok eyes in yellow. True, they're not true Technic sets, but they're an inexpensive inventory builder.

[Seasider]

Haven't seen the pics, any clues as to where to look or have they gone?

H1 sets often end up being hit and miss imo. Looking forward to a Mack truck. Wonder what itll look like next to the old black recovery truck, the set that brought me out of the dark ages

[J_C]

Rally car has right kind of blue panels!!" 42042 blue. Yeaaah!!! (ok, no more shouting here).
Hovercraft looks excellent.
Sailboat is amazing (concept, idea), execution (picture way too small to see much) is secondary for me now.
fire-SUV is nice too. 
I might be buying these smaller sets which I usally leave.
I like it, I like it, I like what I did not see (obviously - nothing to see anywhere)

Dear Lego designers, (I know you read this) pat yourself on the back.

[1gor]

3 hours ago, Jim said:

You are of course entitled to your opinion, but I'd suggest refraining from words as "trash". First of all these are prelim images. Second, we know that sets always look better when the final product has been launched (42069). Since TLG employees and designers are reading this too, it would be nice if we show some respect and use other words.

Or you can use emoticons...and designers do not have free hands; there is always cost efficiency in first place, so they put every year few new parts. Just imagine how they would kill creativity with perfect sets - there would be 90% percent less of those great MOCs that you Eurobrickers are posting here...

Edited August 23, 2017 by I_Igor
Smarthphone issue...

[J_C]

4 hours ago, Saberwing40k said:

I've got to say, I was hoping that the other 1st half sets would be okay, but looking at the pictures, it looks pretty bad.

The photos are too blurry to read the numbers, but I've got to say:

Little Fire Truck: Oh joy, a two function set. It's not even an interesting fire truck. But, it's a small set, and at least it looks okay. Shame it has no recolors.

Catamaran Yacht: Oh look, it's another City set, made out of Technic parts. What functions could this even have?

Hovercraft: Oh yuck.  Again, it's a City set, made out of Technic parts, and it looks absolutely terrible. Just, everything's wrong.

Rally Car: Please oh please have a transmission, maybe with new clutch gears. I ain't getting my hopes up though.

All in all, with a lot of this year's line, and last year's, the Technic team have really dropped the ball. Seriously, Lego? Technic is not F@#$%^g City, or Duplo. It's about functions, and authenticity.  In any other line, quality of this level would not fly. But, maybe it will get better come toy fair. And, we've got a Mack truck, which I hope is good. Also, I think Lego should continue the 40th anniversary celebration, because Technic first came to America in 1978.

More on the Mack, I think it will be in scale with 42043, and it certainly uses the gear racks, and probably the holders, as outriggers. Not my favorite kind of truck, but it overall looks like a great set. Let's hope it actually looks good.

do you realize not all the set can be (nor should be) flagships? There must be smaller cheaper simpler sets. Because there must be a price range from something to something, there must be products targeting different audience, from relatively young kids to adults (where kids are always the main focus, since LEGO is toy).  It can't be all 3000parts.

Sorry for stating the obvious, but it gets so easily forgotten.

[Qukie]

If anyone can PM me the first of the two leaked photos I will be grateful 

[1gor]

3 minutes ago, J_C said:

do you realize not all the set can be (nor should be) flagships? There must be smaller cheaper simpler sets. Because there must be a price range from something to something, there must be products targeting different audience, from relatively young kids to adults (where kids are always the main focus, since LEGO is toy).  It can't be all 3000parts.

Sorry for stating the obvious, but it gets so easily forgotten.

You have point here, not all sets can be flagships indeed. About Mack licence - this is something what we could expect - company owner is Volvo...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mack_Trucks

[Jim]

Just now, Qukie said:

If anyone can PM me the first of the two leaked photos I will be grateful 

No asking for pictures in the discussion topics!

[Rudivdk]

Managed to get a look on these, and I must say it looks promising.

Rally car has a good vibe, hope it will get some last tweaks to look a bit more smooth. It is a bit too much panels with gaps for my taste. I am afraid though it will rely heavily on stickers for final looks. Looks big enough to have some kind of gearbox, I hope it is not for opening doors and all that. And it doesn't have a winch.

Firetruck looks decent, appears most finished of them all.

Sailboat is something refreshing. But are those panels or actual sails on it? Or a new shape of panel?

Ferry is also nice, but clearly aimed at younger public. 

Looks to me LEGO is aiming the line-up at youngsters, with easy to build and easy to control functions and recognizable (city theme inspired) looks. I think it is a smart strategy, the few hundreds of AFOLs can't keep the theme alive by themselves. These are actually all sets I would consider buying for kids, and in the end the number of sales make the succes.

My personal hopes are on the rallycar and Mack truck.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Rudivdk
Typo...

[1gor]

Just now, Qukie said:

If anyone can PM me the first of the two leaked photos I will be grateful 

Please go to third site and send PM with this request to particular user. Good luck

[Seasider]

Now I've seen the preliminary pics (thanks guys) I think the rally car has promise. He hovercraft/ferry fits in the the explorer vessel from this year and I like the look of the catamaran as it's different.

What is the red van meant to be? - ah it's a fire truck ... that works too

Edited August 23, 2017 by Seasider