Unpopular Opinions about LEGO

[Lyichir]

1 hour ago, Alexandrina said:

The problem with that is that The Lego Movie had Hollywood budget and was a labour of love specifically designed to recreate the feel of stop-motion animation. On the budget a TV series is working with, the best way to get that feel would be to actually do stop-motion animation, which itself comes with the problem that any new sets and figures would need to be in production (at least one example made) so that they could be used.

Stop-motion is incredibly expensive too—and arguably even more time-consuming than faking it with CGI, which would present issues getting a TV series finished in time to tie in with the accompanying sets. But I think either would be far too time and labor intensive for that sort of TV production schedule. It would essentially require all props and scenery to be custom built for purpose, which I could only really see working if settings were small scale and liberally reused (more like a sitcom), instead of the sorts of varied and dynamic adventures typical for the kinds of themes Lego makes shows for. Without a huge amount of time and effort to devote to that level of production, you'd likely be left with something where everything that's not a literal set you could buy in stores would look plain and underdeveloped (and even the ones that ARE sets might have inaccuracies to their final product versions due to the animation pipeline and set production pipeline not syncing up, an issue that stylized animation can obscure slightly).

Personally I'm not always the biggest fan of Ninjago-style CGI animation either (particularly how it tends to replace things like the gorgeous dragon sets with much less interesting-looking CGI creatures). But on the flip side, I ADORE Monkie Kid's dynamic and whimsical 2D animation, which trades strict accuracy to the sets for more vibrant and dynamic action cartooning.

[TeriXeri]

That new 5 minute teaser for Dreamzzz looks quite good in terms of animation, as I believe LEGO now uses Unreal Engine 5 due to partnership with Epic (who made the Unreal Engine and Fortnite etc), certainly looks a bit more refined compared to the Nexo Knight animations.

But the models shown don't really look like the LEGO sets, which I assume was never the goal.

 

Edited May 8, 2023 by TeriXeri

[GlacierPhoenix]

2 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

That new 5 minute teaser for Dreamzzz looks quite good in terms of animation, as I believe LEGO now uses Unreal Engine 5 due to partnership with Epic (who made the Unreal Engine and Fortnite etc), certainly looks a bit more refined compared to the Nexo Knight animations.

But the models shown don't really look like the LEGO sets, which I assume was never the goal.

 

UE5 is free, anyone can use it. 

[LegendaryArticuno]

Runs counter to Lego's mission, but I think a gritty anime similar to Cyberpunk Edgerunners would be the best medium for a Lego show.

Any violence, dismemberment, and deaths can be shown through detachable parts 

[Ondra]

Why we still cannot lego do some mature content like shaun of the dawn pub in 18+ line is beyond my understanding. We get some LGBT content, but some real 18+ content like action movies , mafia movies its still not on table.

[Jdrewg]

Weird comparison here. Blood and guts vs ?

5 minutes ago, Ondra said:

Why we still cannot lego do some mature content like shaun of the dawn pub in 18+ line is beyond my understanding. We get some LGBT content, but some real 18+ content like action movies , mafia movies its still not on table.

 

[Ondra]

35 minutes ago, Jdrewg said:

Weird comparison here. Blood and guts vs ?

 

Lego still can make 18+ action movie set, without nothing explicitly stated like they do in star wars line.

[Jdrewg]

34 minutes ago, Ondra said:

Lego still can make 18+ action movie set, without nothing explicitly stated like they do in star wars line.

Yeah, I just thought the casual homophobia tossed in was kinda weird.

[Ondra]

1 minute ago, Jdrewg said:

Yeah, I just thought the casual homophobia tossed in was kinda weird.

We literally get two lgbt sets for 18+ . So I suppose this 18+ line can be used for mature content.

Do you read something, I never wrote?

[MAB]

1 hour ago, Ondra said:

Why we still cannot lego do some mature content like shaun of the dawn pub in 18+ line is beyond my understanding. We get some LGBT content, but some real 18+ content like action movies , mafia movies its still not on table.

18+ on LEGO means the set is aimed at adults in terms of skill, design, and possibly subject matter, etc. It doesn't mean it is adults-only restricted content such as violence, alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. The 18+ on a LEGO box is not like an (18) certificate on a movie or video game.

 

 

[BrickG]

On 5/3/2023 at 3:08 PM, MaximillianRebo said:

Like any software there's a learning curve. The search bar comes in handy a lot. I find myself typing terms like 'clip', 'bar', 'wedge', 'grille' a lot as it's much faster than trying to find the right piece in the 'Shapes' menu. One common piece that was tricky to locate at first was the 2x2 modified tile - the one with two studs on it that's regularly used in seats - is it a plate with less studs or a tile with more studs? One of the strengths of set design - Nice Part Usage (tm) - definitely makes digital design tricky as the point of NPU is using pieces for other than their intended design e.g. I found a MOC with a nice engine intake and was completely stumped where that piece might be found in stud.io until the designer pointed out that it's a wheel piece ... Like a lot of things Lego design and pieces are their own language, and like all languages it's one where new words are constantly being added.

I guess when talking about approachability, ease of use, etc, the big winner here is Minecraft. LEGO is, somewhat ironically, too complex for video games compared to the far more streamlined building options in games like Minecraft.

It's a shame. LEGO building is... better... (ignoring the real crazy programming type stuff you can do in minecraft). But at the end of the day, video games and programs, LEGO can't compete with how easy some other stuff is. But I suppose they can't in the real world.

[MAB]

1 hour ago, BrickG said:

It's a shame. LEGO building is... better... (ignoring the real crazy programming type stuff you can do in minecraft). But at the end of the day, video games and programs, LEGO can't compete with how easy some other stuff is. But I suppose they can't in the real world.

Maybe it is better because it is more than stacks of cubes. For me, thinking about finding and using the right type of part in the right place is what makes lego better than simple stacking. You could of course limit yourself to 1x1 bricks in many colours to mimic Minecraft style building. Obviouslywith some 1x2 if you want free hanging parts.

[danth]

I wish Lego would do something like Dots but for AFOLs. Basically bags of just printed parts. But not tiny tiles, larger tiles. Vidiyo did a bunch of printed tiles but they were random things, not super useful prints.

I'm thinking themed AFOL printed parts bags. Mostly tiles but maybe some special parts too.

Space: Control panels, computers, Space logos (Classic, Blacktron, Ice Planet), arrow tiles, ""LLXXX" set numbers, special panels

Pirates: Maps, letters, flags, coins

Castle: Banners, shields, flags, wanted posters (Forestman), scrolls

City: So many possibilities here. Movie posters, license plates, police/fire/rescue logos, brand logos (Octan), cell phone tiles, computer screens, TV screens, Lego toy boxes...

 

[TeriXeri]

23 minutes ago, danth said:

I wish Lego would do something like Dots but for AFOLs. Basically bags of just printed parts. But not tiny tiles, larger tiles. Vidiyo did a bunch of printed tiles but they were random things, not super useful prints.

I'm thinking themed AFOL printed parts bags. Mostly tiles but maybe some special parts too.

Space: Control panels, computers, Space logos (Classic, Blacktron, Ice Planet), arrow tiles, ""LLXXX" set numbers, special panels

Pirates: Maps, letters, flags, coins

Castle: Banners, shields, flags, wanted posters (Forestman), scrolls

City: So many possibilities here. Movie posters, license plates, police/fire/rescue logos, brand logos (Octan), cell phone tiles, computer screens, TV screens, Lego toy boxes...

The Xtra theme had so much potential for that (some had printed tiles) , maybe scale it up to the size of those VIP polybags, and then directly buyable.

And I don't mean the Xtra cardboard roads, sticker packs or tape here, but just LEGO printed pieces.

[danth]

1 minute ago, TeriXeri said:

The Xtra theme had so much potential for that (some had printed tiles) , maybe scale it up to the size of those VIP polybags, and then directly buyable.

And I don't mean the Xtra cardboard roads, sticker packs or tape here, but just LEGO printed pieces.

Yep. It seems like a total no-brainer to me. People would them in multiples. And Lego could charge a premium.

[Feuer Zug]

58 minutes ago, danth said:

Yep. It seems like a total no-brainer to me. People would them in multiples. And Lego could charge a premium.

There are plenty of what we consider, "no-brainer" ideas that seem to escape the grasp of the marketing department. I'd be in for those parts packs if they made them.

[Mikdun]

On 5/12/2023 at 6:01 PM, MAB said:

18+ on LEGO means the set is aimed at adults in terms of skill, design, and possibly subject matter, etc. It doesn't mean it is adults-only restricted content such as violence, alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. The 18+ on a LEGO box is not like an (18) certificate on a movie or video game.

When I first saw the "18+" badge, I thought that people will misread it as something including pornography, violence and drug/alcohol related. Oh well...

The "16+" was better, even better was "Expert builder" or "16-99" like on the ancient sets. ;)

10 hours ago, danth said:

I wish Lego would do something like Dots but for AFOLs. Basically bags of just printed parts. But not tiny tiles, larger tiles. Vidiyo did a bunch of printed tiles but they were random things, not super useful prints.

I second that. There are plenty of special printed tiles in the licensed sets, why not expand it? 

[Aanchir]

11 hours ago, Mikdun said:

When I first saw the "18+" badge, I thought that people will misread it as something including pornography, violence and drug/alcohol related. Oh well... 

The "16+" was better, even better was "Expert builder" or "16-99" like on the ancient sets. ;)

One problem with the "Expert" labeling is that it would often alienate adult builders who AREN'T dyed-in-the-wool LEGO fans (some of whom may have never even built a LEGO set before) and so don't consider themselves "experts". In reality, building an adult-level set doesn't necessarily require "expertise" — just somewhat more patience, dexterity, attention to detail, and visual-spatial reasoning than a lot of younger kids are likely to have.

Consider the difference between a LEGO Dots set and a LEGO Art mosaic. Obviously, neither an adult nor a seven-year-old requires any particular "expertise" to attach 1x1 plates or tiles to a surface. But due to the LEGO Art sets' larger scale and more specific arrangement of colors (as opposed to the smaller canvasses and more "freeform" patterns encouraged in LEGO Dots), a lot of younger kids might get bored, frustrated, or lose focus and start making careless mistakes over the course of assembling a full-size 48x48 mosaic.

One outlier in the Art theme is the "Art Project" set 21226, which shares the 7+ target age of most Dots sets. Compared to other LEGO Art sets, this one is broken down into smaller 16x16 images, so that a lot less time and patience is needed for younger kids to enjoy the satisfaction of "completing" each image. Moreover, it presents choices of different subject matter so kids can pick designs that will make the experience most rewarding for them, and its "Create Together" conceit means that kids who DO experience momentary frustration will have the support they need to move past those hurdles and get back on track. Aside from that exception, the LEGO Art mosaics are all recommended for adults — not because kids can't build them, but because kids are less likely to have as positive an experience doing so.

[Alexandrina]

On 5/12/2023 at 4:25 PM, Ondra said:

We literally get two lgbt sets for 18+ . So I suppose this 18+ line can be used for mature content.

Unless I've missed a set, you're referring here to Everyone Is Awesome and Fab Five Loft. Neither are what I would call mature. One is literally monofigs symbolising inclusion, the other is based on a TV show which I've never watched myself, but which the BBFC considers to be a '12' rating (the same as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Guardians of the Galaxy, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, every Lord of the Rings film, and the Hunger Games series). Shaun of the Dead is a '15' rating, so not really a fair comparison and comparing the existence of LGBT+ sets to Shaun of the Dead in terms of content maturity feels like you're saying LGBT+ content is inherently mature content.

What you could have done is brought up the existence of the Stranger Things sets, which are '15', the same rating as Shaun of the Dead. There's probably an argument to be made that Shaun of the Dead is at the opposite end of the '15' spectrum to Stranger Things, but that's a genuine debate that would need to be had and empirical evidence has the two franchises being even. Your reference to mafia content confuses me even more. It makes me think of things like The Departed, The Godfather, Scarface, etc., which are on a different level to even Shaun of the Dead and are certainly unsuitable for children and beyond the market Lego targets. As others have said, 18+ is a line targeted towards adults, but it doesn't mean it's adult-only content. Unless you think wildflowers are something unsuitable for children.

[BrickG]

Dude and Womand couple : Not mature content. Normal. Accepted.

Two dudes: Mature content. Children must be protected. FEAR!!!

 

[Vindicare]

On 5/14/2023 at 12:19 PM, danth said:

I wish Lego would do something like Dots but for AFOLs. Basically bags of just printed parts. But not tiny tiles, larger tiles. Vidiyo did a bunch of printed tiles but they were random things, not super useful prints.

I'm thinking themed AFOL printed parts bags. Mostly tiles but maybe some special parts too.

Space: Control panels, computers, Space logos (Classic, Blacktron, Ice Planet), arrow tiles, ""LLXXX" set numbers, special panels

Pirates: Maps, letters, flags, coins

Castle: Banners, shields, flags, wanted posters (Forestman), scrolls

City: So many possibilities here. Movie posters, license plates, police/fire/rescue logos, brand logos (Octan), cell phone tiles, computer screens, TV screens, Lego toy boxes...

 

Let’s try getting this back on track...

While I’m not sure it’s a no brainer(on their end) it’s certainly a great idea from an AFOL perspective. Whenever I meet up with friends who are AFOLs we inevitably bring up something that we think would be a gold mine. 

I would especially love the City idea one. Road signs would be great. It’s always fun seeing the third party movie posters in Palace Cinemas. They have done that one sticker pack a handful of years ago... As someone else mentioned, those VIP Add-Ons would be the perfect way to do that. 

[LegendaryArticuno]

Competition is good, will force Lego to innovate and continually improve.

 

[Peppermint_M]

Unpopular opinion (probably not). The Playmobil collectable figures series has currently got a Third Steampunk figure to collect. Yup, a third. Two previous series have also had steampunk figures. LEGO? LEGO has had zero. Zilch. None.

I want a steampunk CMF. I am not asking for a full theme, a special set, a GWP. Nope, just one little CMF would be nice. 

[LegendaryArticuno]

12 hours ago, Peppermint_M said:

Unpopular opinion (probably not). The Playmobil collectable figures series has currently got a Third Steampunk figure to collect. Yup, a third. Two previous series have also had steampunk figures. LEGO? LEGO has had zero. Zilch. None.

I want a steampunk CMF. I am not asking for a full theme, a special set, a GWP. Nope, just one little CMF would be nice. 

This minifig is steampunk:

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?M=hs075&name=Vaughn Geist - Angry&category=[Hidden Side]#T=S&O={"cond":"N","rpp":"500","iconly":0}

[Peppermint_M]

Yeah, it is. 

But Playmobil has managed to make three interesting blind bag figures, LEGO put one ghost guy in a theme that didn't really fly. 

I know I can mix and match figures to make Steampunk figures for myself but they could maybe give us a few more breadcrumbs.