Opinions on LEGO Technic Theme

[Bublehead]

I think the demographic has actually changed.  Back when Technic came out, I was a 15 year old teenager, and DEEPLY engrossed in all things technical, be it electronic, mechanical, or some combination of the two.  We did not have smart phones, IPads, the internet, or Cd roms. Music came on vinyl records or 8 track tapes and my spare time was taken up by playing physical games like pinball, billiards, bowling, foosball, or air hockey. I didn’t check my phone every 15 seconds, and had way more time to play with Lego.

Today, 15 year old kids have all that and more, so their time to play with Lego has more competition. This is not lost on TLG, so they have to try new things to capture the attention of kids and parents. For us old folks, this means change. And change is something that we don’t like (in Cartman’s Newt voice- “Mostly”)

 So I think it is kind of unfair to compare what Lego did in the past to what Lego is doing now because the playing field has changed. It may be the same 15-year-old kid  but it is not the same 15-year-old lifestyle.  

[Ivan_M]

I don't think that current state of BI is an issue. I have made several BI for my own models and for models build by others and sometimes you have to make a step with a single pin (unless you want to add pieces all over the model at random). This is very different to studfull technic builds where plates and brick were added in layers.

[Bricktrain]

I am loving the new pieces we are getting and their usefulness. The only problem is that I have to keep starting my MOCs again because there is a new part to make it better. 

As far as sets go, I generally only buy them for parts, though more often I just buy the parts I need. I sometimes build the sets but only ones that appeal to me. I see a much greater range of sets being released now, catering for different age groups and markets. The previous years were 5-6 sets a year topped with a flagship the equivalent of the midsize sets now released, but we have bigger sets also available for those who want more.  We have the sets now also which are aimed at other markets other than just technic fans with the licensed sets which are being marketed elsewhere like the Mack thru the Mack dealer network and the Porsche and Bugatti. 

Lego has always been to inspire people and that is why there are B models, sometimes great enough to be sets on their own, otherwise just to show that the set is not just one thing, it is a collection of parts to build whatever you want, not limited to someone else's imagination.

 

[Mechbuilds]

We have waaaay too much normal vehicles and not enough space scifi ships. 
I want technic spaceships and scifi themes.. 

Maybe even technic/bioncile mixup mechas.. Not that herofactory crap though. 

[Zerobricks]

This may be a bit offtopic but I was browsing brickset and noticed that from 2012 the number of released technic set/year have seadily been increasing from average 10 sets/year (2009-2012) to record breaking 14 sets this year!

We should be  be seeing 15 sets next year if the trend continues.

I think we can safely assume there is an increasing demand for Technic sets. And I think it's related to the relase of the power functions and the new panels, frames and such bricks which allowed for the now modern style of building the sets.

[bonox]

for what it's worth, the same thing happened up until they ran into deep financial trouble as well.... 

[Bublehead]

@Zerobricks, I agree that Technic is a growing market.  Here in the USA, S.T.E.M. curriculum classes are getting more popular and the desire for mechanical learning has increased due to more females getting involved.  (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths.) So there is more demand for things like Boost, we-do, and Technic.  Not sure if America is the cause of the increase in Technic sets, but It won’t be going anywhere unless Walmart starts carrying the Technic theme in their brick and mortar stores. They have Boost on the shelf but not Technic or Mindstorms. and We-do is too expensive for home schooling, so it remains as a educational only platform over here.

[RohanBeckett]

anyone remember when Lego started doing regular twice-yearly releases?

for all of my childhood, it was pretty much 1 catalog, 1 series of sets per year... with some popular sets hanging around for 2-3 years (this was for all themes, not just technic)

I do personally think that they do release too many sets each year...

[Maaboo the Witch]

5 hours ago, RohanBeckett said:

anyone remember when Lego started doing regular twice-yearly releases?

for all of my childhood, it was pretty much 1 catalog, 1 series of sets per year... with some popular sets hanging around for 2-3 years (this was for all themes, not just technic)

I do personally think that they do release too many sets each year...

Yeah. Anyone remember poor 42061? It was on shelves for barely a year. I used to be able to pick up sets from 1997 in 2000 (like the Mountain Rambler and the Tread Trekker) as well. At least I was able to snag 8069 in 2013, which was a one in a million chance. 

[allanp]

I member (south park reference) when sets were usually on the shelves for 4 or 5 years, but toy stores wouldn't stock the new stuff right away. I bugged my dad to take me to toys r us most weekends until finally seeing 8880 on the shelf.....in October! Now with online shopping toy stores have to get new stock on the shelves as soon as they are released.

[Maaboo the Witch]

1 hour ago, allanp said:

I member (south park reference) when sets were usually on the shelves for 4 or 5 years, but toy stores wouldn't stock the new stuff right away. I bugged my dad to take me to toys r us most weekends until finally seeing 8880 on the shelf.....in October! Now with online shopping toy stores have to get new stock on the shelves as soon as they are released.

Which often means discounts as stores rush to clear shelves. My local Smyth's already has the Mack for £99.99. Won't get it though, I'm waiting for 42081!

[allanp]

21 hours ago, Maaboo35 said:

Which often means discounts as stores rush to clear shelves. My local Smyth's already has the Mack for £99.99. Won't get it though, I'm waiting for 42081!

Yeah the prices in Smyth's seems to change weekly, so glad we have that in the UK now Toys R Us is gone. Smyth's selection by me in the Midlands could almost compete with the Lego store, the one by me has two UCS millennium falcons on the shelf along with all the creator expert stuff except the rollercoaster. Still no Bugatti, I expect that'll be there in August which is its wide release date.

[Maaboo the Witch]

1 hour ago, allanp said:

Yeah the prices in Smyth's seems to change weekly, so glad we have that in the UK now Toys R Us is gone. Smyth's selection by me in the Midlands could almost compete with the Lego store, the one by me has two UCS millennium falcons on the shelf along with all the creator expert stuff except the rollercoaster. Still no Bugatti, I expect that'll be there in August which is its wide release date.

It is way better than TRU. The product presentation is great (some of the larger set boxes are on show in display cabinets) and the staff get you excited when you buy a set. I'd say the staff are on a par with those in the TLG stores as well!  Making the buying experience a good one also lifts your opinion of the brand.

[allanp]

That's also true, they always say "bet you'll have fun with that, that looks really detailed doesn't it!" and stuff like that, I'm not fooling anyone, they know it's for me, guess they have a lot of AFOLs! Have I gone off topic btw? I guess the shopping experience all plays a part in one's own opinion of the brand as a whole I guess.

[Alternator]

I'm quite a fan of older technic - it had this nice raw quality to it, but then that could more be about culture at the time as well as my own age.

These days I think we might be a bit too spoiled with the theme, to some degree I'm struggling to keep up with the sets. Ironically I was able to breath a sigh of relief when last years 42070 didn't capture strong interest from me.

But now we have this year and I want the Volvo, the Crane, and the Chiron... and suddenly things are very expensive, not to mention I'm also somewhat interested in the pneumatic set, and the forklift...

 

I think perhaps the B model isn't quite as much a feature for technic as it used to be, which I miss. I do wonder if this would be the case if the B model instructions were still included with the set (as opposed to being a download), it could also be impacted by the large use of stickers now-a-days.

But I think with how many technic sets there are each year it would be hard to also have compelling B models as well. (I'm thinking back to the 8868's B model that had a continuous claw/liftarm motion that would automatically cycle if I'm remembering right... an A level feature on a B model).

 

[Jim]

There was some discussion about big sets in the Rough Terrain Crane topic, so I figured to bring the discussion about big sets here.

15 minutes ago, TeamThrifty said:

I'm not sure why big is bad? Function count to size ratio isn't a critical factor for me, maybe if it was an empty shell, but it isn't... in fact if they offered two crane's, both with the same functions and one as small as possible and one monster at 4000 pieces, i'd buy the monster every time. 

Exactly.  Lately I do hear a lot of complaints about sets being too big. For me there is no such thing as too big. I'm not saying bigger is better, but you don't see me complaining about 4000+ sets. I love a big set. Therefore, I was wondering why I see a lot of complaints. And basically, it can only mean one thing and that's the price. People aren't complaining about sets getting bigger (i.e. more parts), but they are complaining that sets are getting more expensive. At least, that is the most likely explanation.

[Maaboo the Witch]

My reservations about 42082 are mainly centred on the functions. It clearly has a buttload of ABS to haul about and some of the functions look too slow or clumsy, like the jerky slewing. I mean, the speed of the outriggers!  Fwah. There's a lot of hate for 42070 (a lot of which is justified, trust me) but its outriggers are so fleet and effective, with a slower motor to boot!

[rener]

I don't really agree. Outrigger speed of 42082 is not that bad. And the stabilizers in 42070 look nice and go pretty smooth, but are not completely aligned (front/back), which always results in LA-grinding...

But I reserve my final judgment until I get my hands on this set.

[Maaboo the Witch]

Just now, rener said:

I don't really agree. Outrigger speed of 42082 is not that bad. And the stabilizers in 42070 look nice and go pretty smooth, but are not completely aligned (front/back), which always results in LA-grinding...

But I reserve my final judgment until I get my hands on this set.

Not that bad? In the time it took me to watch them fully descend in the video, three species of tropical bird went extinct!

[Bublehead]

@Maaboo35, now that was funny...

I think any outrigger that has a hope in heck of lifting a huge model off its wheels has to have one of two thing going for it.

It either has to be geared down to a snails pace in order to generate the required torque, -or-

it has to use a lever arm big enough to create the required mechanical advantage.

or both.  Throw pneumatics in the mix and now it becomes a factor of air flow and pump capacity.

but it all goes back to how much work is actually being done and how much work your motor can deliver per unit time (power) and how that power is applied to the job.  You want to lift 4kgm in 5 seconds? It’s not happening with a M motor, a L motor or a XL motor without some form of storage, and the reason so many outriggers on MOCs tend to be pneumatic with an air tank for speed. 

The outriggers on my Twirl & Hurl use a single L motor, but I’m not trying to lift the whole ride off the ground, only stabilize it. They are slow, but they do their job well. 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2018 by Bublehead

[agrof]

I am one, who is complaining about the size.

It is not a price issue for me, but a design issue. As mentioned before, adding parts for example on the wheel hubs just for sake of adding parts and be able to present the set as "The next biggest" is far away from Technic. They not even add a valuable aesthetic improvement in my opinion... just parts to be in the list. Similar effect to make a larger scale to reach the same target (The next biggest). There is nothing more in function and technical solutions, than in a 3000 pcs set. As an engineer, I find this just against my instincts, it is just marketing over engineering - and literally: overengineering. I like compact, efficient, smart solutions - size alone doesn't impress me. A design is successful to me, if it has the technology, functionality, usability, and elegance in one package.

This is one example for those profanes, who are not WOW-ing the 4000 pcs count immadiately. 

BTW: functions are fine for me, even the outriggers speed. May I note, that the speed of those are not linearly connected to race extinction? Except, if the last member of the certain race is beneath the outrigger's feet...

[Maaboo the Witch]

It is way overbuilt.

[rener]

4 minutes ago, agrof said:

 

BTW: functions are fine for me, even the outriggers speed. May I note, that the speed of those are not linearly connected to race extinction? Except, if the last member of the certain race is beneath the outrigger's feet...

Especially if the outriggers lift the model AND it’s packed with useless, but weight-adding pieces...;)

[Jim]

1 hour ago, agrof said:

It is not a price issue for me, but a design issue. As mentioned before, adding parts for example on the wheel hubs just for sake of adding parts and be able to present the set as "The next biggest" is far away from Technic. They not even add a valuable aesthetic improvement in my opinion... just parts to be in the list.

I beg to differ. In my opinion these added parts make the model look better than using rims only. And I reckon TLG likes to present different solutions/looks for hubs than the same rim every time. So, I don’t think it’s meant “to increase the part count”.

[agrof]

@Jim It is your opinion, You like it. I don't. I guess, we could still sit to the same table and have a good beer with a nice chat, could we?