Future Constraction Lines

[ZORK64]

Yes, yes and also yes.

I'll admit I mostly want these because they would also expand my options for building Transformers MOCs who are in-scale with actual TF figures, but yeah, others will certainly find also uses for these.

I also hope that TLG will make something like this as soon as possible, as I'm somewhat of a purist when it comes to MOCing. Those Shapeways parts are tempting though.

[Mitch Henry]

Update, I bought 2 of the sockets with 2 length axles. Not bad on the cheapest option, but i imagine the highest durability would be best, as the cup stretches a bit when you add a mixel balljoint.

[Kalhiki]

Posting this here since it seems like a more appropriate place than the SW thread.

I'll be honest, it's sad to see the wave canned, though I'm not surprised to see it go. But right now, I'm more concerned with Constraction's future which is now... Uncertain, at best.

 

So my mind wandered to what could "save" Constraction from an ultimate demise. And I gotta say, I still believe the Mixels joints are the best bet. 

While I have no sources to back this up, I feel System's strength is why Constraction is failing. Looking back to the start of Bionicle, wasn't the Lego market weak and/or failing? And with the innovation of Bio and Mindstorms, the brand got its strength back. And over time, System was able to build its strength as well. Either way, nowadays, the general consensus seems that kids are more interested in building with bricks than with bones.

That being said, I really think introducing more bricks (if not just having an entire brick-based theme) into Constraction is the way to go. Maybe having smaller, brick-based sets and larger sets that are dominantly Constraction. 

 

I really don't want the Constraction community to phase out either. So I'd like to invite everyone to share some opinions, hopes, and dreams here. Let's just keep it civil. ;)

 

[The Outsider]

7 hours ago, Kalhiki said:

So my mind wandered to what could "save" Constraction from an ultimate demise. And I gotta say, I still believe the Mixels joints are the best bet. 

While I have no sources to back this up, I feel System's strength is why Constraction is failing. Looking back to the start of Bionicle, wasn't the Lego market weak and/or failing? And with the innovation of Bio and Mindstorms, the brand got its strength back. And over time, System was able to build its strength as well. Either way, nowadays, the general consensus seems that kids are more interested in building with bricks than with bones.

That being said, I really think introducing more bricks (if not just having an entire brick-based theme) into Constraction is the way to go. Maybe having smaller, brick-based sets and larger sets that are dominantly Constraction.

 

Funny, at least to me one of the things that hooked me to constraction in general (and BIONICLE in particular) was how different it was from System; before that, I wasn't very fond of LEGO because of how little articulation the minifigures had and how they always had the same smily face (at least they changed the last regard). Then again, I still bought some EXO-Force and Knights' Kingdom II sets and found them pretty cool, so a more brick-based line might work (it might even help developing less robotic-looking beings and more unconventional, non-humanoid builds like some of us've been asking).

I can't be sure what might work as a line today, as kids have probably changed a lot since I entered Constraction, and I was a weird kid back then anyway, but to me one of the things that pulled me into Constraction, and which I find rather lacking today, was the story. I can't say for Slizers or Roboriders, since I never heard of them till I found the Internet, but for the ones I mentioned above, it was the world and the characters that go me hooked: BIONICLE having cyborgs for some reason in a tropical tribal setting using elemental skills and magic masks; EXO-Force with rounded, growing characters figthing in an imaginative and unusual location; Knights' Kingdom and their world-building backstory that extended way beyond the main line (though sadly never brought up into the main line).

Nowadays, though, the strongest tales are on the System side, with stuff like Ninjago and The LEGO Movie franchise. Constraction, meanwhile, has attempted to simplify their stories since they thought BIONICLE was becoming too convoluted for the new customers, but they ended up going too far and making them bland: Hero Factory had a lot of potential which was wasted in adventures-of-the-year tales with little to no consequence come next season (especially annoying in Breakdown and Attack of The Brains given their cliffhangers), while BIONICLE G2 was so generic it could have been any other line if not for the Toa and Makuta.

Maybe my nostalgia is tainting my memory of these lines? Perhaps, but from what I hear I'm definitely not the only one.

According to John Tenuto (The Toys That Made Us), one of the things that drives people to collect is the need to touch and see something to represent an intangible belief: flags for countries, symbols and amulets for religions, and toys for characters and worlds. But (and these are my own conclusions), you need to have something they want to believe before they can search for a physical representation of it. Which is why, in my opinion, before making any attempt to approach the younger generations with apps or new parts or something of the like, you need a strong, solid story to work with and characters which will capture your interest.

Edited March 10, 2018 by The Outsider
Grammar again (I'm not a native speaker)

[bidiminished]

I agree that integrating System into constraction is the way to go. In theory, replacing CCBS armour with System slopes and plates would be cheaper, less dependent on new moulds, much more versatile and might even draw in System fans, if only for the parts. While CCBS bought some critical changes and has some of the best constraction figures that Lego has ever made,  I believe it peaked with Hero Factory (i.e. simple cartoonish robots) and is now way past its due date and needs to go.

  

[Digger of Bricks]

So, what did happen to that eariler rumored constraction theme? Did everyone come to an inevitable conclusion that it was false, or is there a chance that it may be expected in 2019, if at all? 

[JekPorkchops]

I think that if even the SW line of constraction has failed, constraction in general is doomed. I don't want to sound too negative but apparently constraction is not something of today's market anymore. (Though I should also admit that 'even the SW line doesn't sell' isn't too much of a bold statement, considering what has happened to the brand. I guess Lego SW still sells well, just not constraction and all of the other SW merchandise). 

2 hours ago, bidiminished said:

I agree that integrating System into constraction is the way to go. In theory, replacing CCBS armour with System slopes and plates would be cheaper, less dependent on new moulds, much more versatile and might even draw in System fans

  

System pieces are definitely more expensive. It takes up a lot of plastic when using bricks to take up the same volume as a CCBS shell. That's why the shells were made in the first place and that's why they are sometimes still used in system sets (in the Hulkbusters for example, it was just way more convenient to use a bone and a shell rather than trying to build all of that shaping up in such a small space. They already had the constraction pieces and it gives all of the range of motion that was needed for that particular system set design).

[ZORK64]

On 11.3.2018 at 5:51 PM, JekPorkchops said:

System pieces are definitely more expensive. It takes up a lot of plastic when using bricks to take up the same volume as a CCBS shell. That's why the shells were made in the first place and that's why they are sometimes still used in system sets (in the Hulkbusters for example, it was just way more convenient to use a bone and a shell rather than trying to build all of that shaping up in such a small space. They already had the constraction pieces and it gives all of the range of motion that was needed for that particular system set design).

This is also the reason why I'd rather see Mixel Joints integrated into the Technic/CCBS range rather than the other way around. While it would be intriguing for building, it would ramp up the prices.

[Kalhiki]

For System-based, do we even really need super-big sets? I mean, just look at Mixels. Small articulated figures for $5. Maybe make the sets into the $10 range for a bit more detail and articulation. 

Plus, not only is that cheaper, but the smaller size would provide more room for larger sets/characters/vehicles/etc. Part of the reason why I didn't much care for Bio G2 was the larger size for the Toa. Loved the direction the first few waves of HF took by having all the Heroes as small sets. And, said larger sets in this hypothetical line could have a greater reliance on CCBS or Technic. Best of both worlds.

 

Something else I thought about was a Constraction Minifig. Like the Technic figures from back in the day, but smaller. If Friends can have Minidolls, is it out of the question to see some sort of Constraction-specific Minfig? Maybe something with added articulation?

 

[ShadowWolfHount]

Yeah, smaller is better when it comes to constraction, Bionicle G2 had the Toa as these large $15 to $20 sets and try to get people to buy those, rather than making them around the $10 range of them being smaller for kids to easily buy them, while the Protector/creature would be at the $5 range for a quick buy.

I think it'll be good for the mixels joints to be used on the small $5 sets, while $10 sets would use the normal size joints, any sets above $10 would try to mix both mixels joins and normal joints.

[ToaSerwain]

personally, at this point, instead of seeing ccbs 24/7, I want to see something new for once. I don't care if it's just kk2''s building system or galidor, just give me something new and I'll be satisfied because I'm tired of all of this business crap thrown at me with lame and stupid ideas like STAR WARS CCBS and incorporating similar stuff. because honestly, what the frick happened to "only the best is good enough"?

 

like I mean, megablocks and manchildren being all fuzzy over a reboot sucking aside, why not improve whilst trying to do something new for once LEGO? 

like since childhood I've wanted a theme and building that mixes exo-force and technic bionicle, along with ccbs but no, my idea is just as irrelevant as yours because it won't sell according to the big L E G O. 

 

at this point mate, I'm just waiting for another bionicle-alike savior or something to put an end to this madness...

[Lyichir]

2 hours ago, ToaSerwain said:

personally, at this point, instead of seeing ccbs 24/7, I want to see something new for once. I don't care if it's just kk2''s building system or galidor, just give me something new and I'll be satisfied because I'm tired of all of this business crap thrown at me with lame and stupid ideas like STAR WARS CCBS and incorporating similar stuff. because honestly, what the frick happened to "only the best is good enough"?

 

like I mean, megablocks and manchildren being all fuzzy over a reboot sucking aside, why not improve whilst trying to do something new for once LEGO? 

like since childhood I've wanted a theme and building that mixes exo-force and technic bionicle, along with ccbs but no, my idea is just as irrelevant as yours because it won't sell according to the big L E G O. 

 

at this point mate, I'm just waiting for another bionicle-alike savior or something to put an end to this madness...

"Only the best is good enough" does not and has never meant "everything has to be new and satisfy one particular person's very specific interests". The whole point of the CCBS was to have a standard modularized system for Constraction like for classic Technic and System parts, so that they didn't have to reinvent the wheel every other year. And despite your complaints about Star Wars CCBS, both it and the Bionicle reboot did push Constraction forward by making builds more complex, fleshed out, and functional both through the introduction of new parts (like the gearbox, gearbox cover, and various other parts) and the integration of more standard Technic parts, all without returning to the era of hyperspecialized legs and torsos. I would love to see Constraction see a resurgence as much as anyone, but not by throwing out the best system we've had for it just for novelty's sake.

Also not even sure why you brought up Exo-Force, to be honest. There are plenty of sets that follow in that theme's legacy in themes like Ninjago and Nexo Knights that integrate Technic, System, and CCBS for mechs and vehicles.

[ShadowWolfHount]

Both Star Wars Ultrabuild and Binoicle G2 did not push constraction forward, not even close. You are talking about a theme that didn't made it to the 3rd year and a soon going to be another dead constraction series. If you talking about them moving constraction forward of being dead all together, than yeah, it's doing a great job at it.

Also I believe what the lad meant is that CCBS has kept feeling like we're just getting the same thing over and over (exception being Bionicle 2016), Star Wars is that very example, while they have different helmet/heads and armor placement, your just outright getting the same thing but with little stuff added and different printings. Constraction is not like system and never will be, treating constraction like that is a horrible idea. Though the many years, constraction has only one theme and it's rare for another constraction theme to run for 3 years at best.

Now a huge thing that you may have not notice that turn a lot of people away from the Star Wras CCBS are the price to part; now sure constraction has always have a thing with having lesser parts compare to the price, but half the parts to the normal price is acceptable. But with Star Wars ultrabuild parts to price, by the imagination you are out of your mind if you think I'll buy those.
2015 Darth Vader $30 with 160 pieces
2018 Darth Vader $40 with 168 pieces
Boba Fett $30 with 144 pieces
Chewbacca $35 with 179
General Grievous $35 with 186 pieces
Scout Trooper™ & Speeder Bike $55 with 452 pieces

Now let's take a look at price to parts of sets before the Bionicle G2 and Star Wars:
Brutaka $20 with 193 pieces
Vezon & Fenrakk $30 with 281 pieces
Toa Mata Nui $50 with 366 pieces
Witch Doctor $30 with 331 pieces
Evo XL Machine $25 with 193 pieces

Notice something here with the price to parts from before and after the end of Hero Factory. There are many other problem that is right in front of your faces, but yet you look away from it, speak that it being push forward, yet the large parts, printing and clothes are badly damaging constraction. Make note that I'm not saying that CCBS is the problem but what is being put on it and how it's done that is the problem, sense if we look at Hero Factory to Star Wars, to parts, size, printings and so on; the problem shows.
But there's another problem with Star Wars killing off constraction, which is that it doesn't have what constraction purpose for the triangle of building.
If you ask what the triangle of building is, well it is something that I created from seeing the noticeable purpose of the 3 different system (brick system, technic and constraction), that they are use for the creation of one another. Technic is for function and keeping things strongly together, system is for the small detail (but can kind of change with my system armor for constraction: see example of Red Knight and Construct-A-Astronaut)  and constraction is for large texture and detailed pieces (you may know themes that does this like Racers, Mars Mission, Exo-Force and Power Miners).
People obviously expect texture and detail on their constraction, not this clothe and printing garbage (clothe use to be a special to see on constraction, but it now becoming annoying to see and is now seen as damaging constraction than anything), if constraction doesn't have this important thing about it, than I ask of you, what is the purpose of constraction at all. Because without it, it's just best to replace it with brick build figures instead of these bones and armors. Because the themes you brought up that followed Exo-Force Legacy follows this triangle of building rule.

Lastly, you may say that  CCBS is "the best system we had" but if we're not getting anything majorly different with the system, no very unique sets like Grievous & Witch Doctor, and just "shall on bone shall on bone and so on", and is right now killing constraction, I wouldn't call that the best system we have at all.

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by ShadowWolfHount

[ToaSerwain]

13 hours ago, Lyichir said:

Only the best is good enough" does not and has never meant "everything has to be new and satisfy one particular person's very specific interests"

yes it does, ESPECIALLY in this case with ccbs dying out and no way of improving the current standards. while the same thing kinda happened with galidor and all of the garbage getting released in the 97-04 era, this might be a new and exciting return of confused and utter that was lego back in 97-04

Quote

And despite your complaints about Star Wars CCBS, both it and the Bionicle reboot did push Constraction forward by making builds more complex, fleshed out, and functional both through the introduction of new parts (like the gearbox, gearbox cover, and various other parts) and the integration of more standard Technic parts, all without returning to the era of hyperspecialized legs and torsos.

yo lemme say this, sw ccbs is why the entire building system is dying and getting more cancer than bionicle g2. both themes fall in the same category of reusing the same torso build, lame designs, builds being less stable etc. I don't get why people like you seem to cyclejerk stuff like this, when both of them are fundamentally flawed and deserved their rushed and painful endings. one more than the other. 

bionicle g2 suffered because of these flaws and the lack of no interaction from lego, even though nearly of the sets seemed to just be plain and bland. sw ccbs is just too expensive for the price ratio, whlist being more rubbish than that one theme which is known to be the worst of the worst. 

 

Edited March 21, 2018 by ToaSerwain

[Stash2Sixx]

HI!

 

@ToaSerwain, welcome to the site.  You are more than welcome to voice your opinion on Eurobricks.  But please, do it in a friendly way.  In other words, try not to piss everyone off right away, that's my job!

Also, you may want to get a new keyboard as I see your shift key may be broken.  We know English is not everyone's first language, but we do appreciate an attempt at the usage of some grammar and capitalization.  Otherwise, we look like a chat room.

Any questions, please, feel free to ask me at anytime.  Now, you may continue with your discussion!

[ZORK64]

On 21.3.2018 at 6:45 AM, ToaSerwain said:

yes it does, ESPECIALLY in this case with ccbs dying out and no way of improving the current standards. while the same thing kinda happened with galidor and all of the garbage getting released in the 97-04 era, this might be a new and exciting return of confused and utter that was lego back in 97-04

yo lemme say this, sw ccbs is why the entire building system is dying and getting more cancer than bionicle g2. both themes fall in the same category of reusing the same torso build, lame designs, builds being less stable etc. I don't get why people like you seem to cyclejerk stuff like this, when both of them are fundamentally flawed and deserved their rushed and painful endings. one more than the other. 

bionicle g2 suffered because of these flaws and the lack of no interaction from lego, even though nearly of the sets seemed to just be plain and bland. sw ccbs is just too expensive for the price ratio, whlist being more rubbish than that one theme which is known to be the worst of the worst. 

 

Sure, it might be possible that a new Constraction theme will do something different than CCBS, but I would prefer it to evolve from it rather than abandon it right away for the sake of compatibility.

How exactly iss CCBS "less stable"?

And yes, for a pure MOCist perspective, Star Wars Ultrabuilds are not the greatest parts packs, but some of the sets are still pretty neat, and many of them do get price cuts eventually...

 

Also, what Stash2Sixx said. Stop being so rude and disrespectful. It's really uncalled.

[Master_Data]

Lego doesn't want to let Constraction die. They want a share of the action figure market. They put the Star Wars IP behind it to prop it up because SW sells. Constraction just needs to take on another best-selling theme to revitalize it (which is probably what Chima was supposed to be).

Maybe they should just make CCBS Ninjago ninjas. Ninjago's popular with kids and has attracted tons of kids to other LEGO themes. Small, $10, impulse-buy ninjas?

Constraction is not dying. It is being kept alive by LEGO to maintain a share in the market and will continue to do so as long as it can. It just needs something popular behind it to get it started again.

[Kalhiki]

I've been playing Monster Hunter World recently, and I think it'd be incredible to have something like that in Constraction (I feel like someone mentioned this earlier in the thread). Constraction dinosaurs/dragons would be amazing and also provide us with loads of non-humanoid builds. Then there could also be minifigs and maybe some sort of armaments like the old Vikings sets to fight the creatures.

 

[Leewan]

What I'd like to see in a future Constraction theme is some "intercompatibility" between the sets, something that would push kids to swap several elements, like the limbs, or the weapons, or the heads to create their own characters, like the Hybrid thing on the back of the JW:FK set boxes. Being able to easily mix and combine the sets would foster creativity, and could be a selling argument. Right now, we only have the Star Wars sets, and when you're done building your set, there's not much you can do with it. With BIONICLE G2, you could give the Masters the Protector's weapons, you could Unite the Uniters with their Elemental Creatures. I think going even further (without having to completely tear the sets apart to build combiners) could help kids who aren't into Constraction to embrace the CCBS and show it's not different than their regular Lego bricks, that they can build and create in the same way. 

12 hours ago, Master_Data said:

Maybe they should just make CCBS Ninjago ninjas. Ninjago's popular with kids and has attracted tons of kids to other LEGO themes. Small, $10, impulse-buy ninjas?

I don't know... I'm not really sure I want to see another Constraction theme that's a "spin-off" of an existing System theme. I'd rather have something completely new. I'd love to see a Big Bang theme with a strong Constraction component to it (like some kind of hybrid theme, with both CCBS / Mixel jointed buildable figures and system playsets, that work together at the same scale). Now, there are higher chances to see BrickHeadz versions of the main characters of the next BB theme than seeing them in CCBS form. 

24 minutes ago, Kalhiki said:

(I feel like someone mentioned this earlier in the thread).

I remember I did, but it was in another thread (but I also thought it was here, so I didn't find this message immediately). Perhaps that's what you're talking about ?

 

[Kalhiki]

19 minutes ago, Leewan said:

I remember I did, but it was in another thread (but I also thought it was here, so I didn't find this message immediately). Perhaps that's what you're talking about ?

Yeah, that was it. 

Going off of what you said about intercompatibility and swapping parts, I feel like that would lend itself well with a Monster Hunter type theme. Like, build your own monster or some-such. I was thinking there could be a special part or something that had multiple connection points for different add-ons. Horns, claws, feathers, armor, scales. A way to really customize the creation.

Either way, I agree. CCBS is really good for easy building, and I wish they marketed that more. I feel Hero Factory did it pretty well since it was literally a factory that made these Heroes, which I found creatively inviting for making characters.

[Dorek]

8 hours ago, Kalhiki said:

I've been playing Monster Hunter World recently, and I think it'd be incredible to have something like that in Constraction (I feel like someone mentioned this earlier in the thread). Constraction dinosaurs/dragons would be amazing and also provide us with loads of non-humanoid builds. Then there could also be minifigs and maybe some sort of armaments like the old Vikings sets to fight the creatures.

 

Only tangentially related (i.e. video games) but I always want constraction Kingdom Hearts. It'd basically be in the same vein of Star Wars constraction (Disney license etc.) but y'know, colorful. Constraction Mickey Mouse with a Keyblade, man. And for non-humanoids there's all the enemies (Heartless, Dream Eaters, whatever). #goals

But yeah, I'd prefer something original over anything else. One can only hope soon.

[Yeow]

16 hours ago, Leewan said:

What I'd like to see in a future Constraction theme is some "intercompatibility" between the sets, something that would push kids to swap several elements, like the limbs, or the weapons, or the heads to create their own characters, like the Hybrid thing on the back of the JW:FK set boxes. Being able to easily mix and combine the sets would foster creativity, and could be a selling argument. Right now, we only have the Star Wars sets, and when you're done building your set, there's not much you can do with it. With BIONICLE G2, you could give the Masters the Protector's weapons, you could Unite the Uniters with their Elemental Creatures. I think going even further (without having to completely tear the sets apart to build combiners) could help kids who aren't into Constraction to embrace the CCBS and show it's not different than their regular Lego bricks, that they can build and create in the same way. 

 

I believe you just described Galidor. At least, that seemed like the point of Galidor to me. It's why pictures like this exist.

[ZORK64]

Heh, I also remember the Monster Hunter idea from back then.

And yeah, the "Galidor pitch" would be a neat idea for a new constraction theme. I always built my own characters out of the sets I bought, so it wouldn't hurt if TLG would highlight this in some way.

[Leewan]

On 26/03/2018 at 11:10 PM, Kalhiki said:

I was thinking there could be a special part or something that had multiple connection points for different add-ons. Horns, claws, feathers, armor, scales. A way to really customize the creation.

Ah, that's a good idea ! That reminds me of the co-injected armor claw concept seen in the G2 artbook.

 

On 26/03/2018 at 11:10 PM, Kalhiki said:

I feel Hero Factory did it pretty well since it was literally a factory that made these Heroes, which I found creatively inviting for making characters.

Yeah, and while it didn't last too long, the Hero Recon Team program did put the emphasis on this by allowing people to create their own Hero set. Gosh, they launched this seven years ago, time flies !

 

On 27/03/2018 at 2:57 PM, Yeow said:

I believe you just described Galidor. At least, that seemed like the point of Galidor to me.

I hadn't seen things that way.   Well, in that case, I'm all for a Galidor G2 made with CCBS parts.

 

Another idea I had, which could mix System and Constraction set, would be a theme similar to Code Lyoko (I know it aired in the US, but I don't know how well known / popular the series was outside of France). In short, it's an animated series where a group of teens go in a virtual world to fight monsters to save the world from an evil IA called XANA. There could be system playsets, either set in the reality or in the virtual world (or both), and Constraction sets that represent the virtual avatars of the main characters and the ennemies they fight. So the System sets would mostly focus on the real-life settings, and the Constraction sets would focus on the virtual world.

PS : I just remembered something somewhat related : last night I had a dream where Lego was officially announcing a BIONICLE reboot for 2019. They said they would go in a completely new direction, which was true since I remember two of the sets shown were dinosaurs, a brachiosaurus and a stegosaurus, I believe. The sets were quite big, in the 25-30€ range. There were messages here saying "Oh, so the rumor was true after all !". 

[Digger of Bricks]

Like I said on another topic recently, I'd like to see a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em sort of constraction theme, with action figures that are more focused upon the competition aspect of the line and less upon a storyline. I mean, that's how lines like Slizer and RoboRiders were, right? Less emphasis on story and more on the competition element?

4 hours ago, Leewan said:

PS : I just remembered something somewhat related : last night I had a dream where Lego was officially announcing a BIONICLE reboot for 2019. They said they would go in a completely new direction, which was true since I remember two of the sets shown were dinosaurs, a brachiosaurus and a stegosaurus, I believe. The sets were quite big, in the 25-30€ range. There were messages here saying "Oh, so the rumor was true after all !". 

Constraction dinosaurs utilizing the Ultrabuild system would be cool!