Pre-production design

[Siegfried]

I would love to see your hybrid!! *wub*

Well this was as far as I got last time.

The biggest changes are that I de-articulated it and corrected the boom tip. It really needed to be changed to 8 wide though and at the time I was low on bricks so I gave up on it. But now things are different...

[iamded]

I love the Acklay and the Reek. But where's the Nexu? This would have been a great set, you can bet we'd get some Jedi too.

~Peace

Edited October 12, 2007 by iamded

[TheFrisian]

I love the Acklay and the Reek. But where's the Nexu? This would have been a great set, you can bet we'd get some Jedi too.

~Peace

I totally agree, if they had refined the models and added a load of Jedi minifigs, it would've been a great set. I think a set like that would sell really well.

[hollisbrick]

Is this a prototype because it looks better than the actual one. or is it?

www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2231720

[Siegfried]

Is this a prototype because it looks better than the actual one. or is it?

Yes.

[hollisbrick]

Yes.

Damn. I wonder why they didnt do this one? :-/ It's heaps better.

[Siegfried]

Damn. I wonder why they didnt do this one? :-/ It's heaps better.

I suspect that the terms of the license changed. Thus this set would have been too expensive so it was scaled back to meet the planned price point. :'-(

[Corvus]

Is this a prototype because it looks better than the actual one. or is it?

Isn't that sad that we know it's the protoype becuase its better? :'-(

[Batbrick]

Isn't that sad that we know it's the protoype becuase its better? :'-(

______

Its heaps better, which makes me annoyed that we instead got a crappy gate! >:-(

A lot of prototypes seem to be better for some reason, like TLC cares more for making the pricepoint instead of streamlining the product! >:-(

TTFN! >:-)

[MatthewUSA]

These pics were a very cooool find. I have wondered what the prototype models looked like before the final. I *wub* the look of the crane. I like the boom & outrigging on the final, but the wheel set on the proto was *sweet* .

Thanks for the pics *y* .

[Lord Of Pies]

Hi!

I was looking in a Tesco catalogue today, and when browsing through the Lego section I saw a picture of a mars mission alien with moveable arms!!! Like those of the 2007 castle skellies! Sigh, if only they kept it that way.

Also, Argos catalogues are very good at showing prelim pics instead of final product design.

[Siegfried]

I was looking in a Tesco catalogue today, and when browsing through the Lego section I saw a picture of a mars mission alien with moveable arms!!! Like those of the 2007 castle skellies! Sigh, if only they kept it that way.

Any chance of you posting those pics here?

[Lord Of Pies]

Yes, I will! As soon as my stupid camera works.. *sing*

More info: They are the same arms as on battle droids, except trans green!

[Hinckley]

Well this was as far as I got last time.

The biggest changes are that I de-articulated it and corrected the boom tip. It really needed to be changed to 8 wide though and at the time I was low on bricks so I gave up on it. But now things are different...

This is excellent! I really like your adjustments. But, my favorite part of the prototype were the beams in the crane extension :'-( Do you have those or am I going to have to cry out all of my sorrow?...

[Siegfried]

But, my favorite part of the prototype were the beams in the crane extension :'-( Do you have those or am I going to have to cry out all of my sorrow?...

Are you referring to the boom or the stabilisers? If you mean the boom, no. I have two of those pieces in total! Not enough for a crane.

[Derek]

Lord of Pies, were the Jellies much differnt other than the fact they had BD arms?

DP8

[Lord Of Pies]

Lord of Pies, were the Jellies much differnt other than the fact they had BD arms?

DP8

No, the BD type arms were the only difference. I will check again, but I do not think that the legs could move!

Sgh, if only..... :-/

[phoinix]

well this looks like a good time to revive this topic since Mark Stafford (lego designer) showed some of his preliminary designs in his interview over at

brothers-brick

8961 Crystal Sweeper Prototype

Exo-Force 8115 dark panther in different colors, they were trying out which is best

and they decided to go with purple

[Peppermint_M]

well this looks like a good time to revive this topic since Mark Stafford (lego designer) showed some of his preliminary designs in his interview over at

Exo-Force 8115 dark panther in different colors, they were trying out which is best

and they decided to go with purple

Too bad that Lego isn't like Tomy-Takara's Zoids... Then we'd get all the other colours too at some point .

[5150 Lego]

well this looks like a good time to revive this topic since Mark Stafford (lego designer) showed some of his preliminary designs in his interview over at

brothers-brick

8961 Crystal Sweeper Prototype

Wow. I think i like that one better than the production version! I can see why he needed to change the design for the digger scope in the front. If it were brick built like in the preliminary, it wouldn't have lasted one swipe of a rock monster.

I might mod mine to lood more like this one!

[Dadster]

Never knew such a cool thread existed...

[MacK]

Wow cool thread I love seeing all the preliminary designs, I think that Power Miner one was the best so far. It's a shame that TLG has to compromise a model just so that it fits within a certain price point; most of these models look way cooler than the sets. I wonder if TLG has a secret bunker somewhere full of preliminary models, I might have to find and visit it some time .

[Algernon]

Best thread EVER.

I wish we could see some prelims of some REALLY old sets, say early 90s.

[CP5670]

There have been a few cases of 80s/90s sets where the box picture showed small differences from the actual set, which probably indicates a preliminary version. The 8868 Airtech Claw Rig has a slightly different compressor design shown on the box, using a smaller pulley. I've seen more cases like this, but can't remember any others off the top of my head.

The 8454 Rescue Truck was a completely different color in the prerelease shots, green instead of red. They were posted on Lugnet many years ago, but I can't find any pictures on BL now.

And yeah, it sucks how some of these prerelease versions were so much better than the final products. That city crane in particular looks miles better than the <insert that tiresome argument> version they settled on.

[Siegfried]

Best thread EVER.

I agree!

I've seen more cases like this, but can't remember any others off the top of my head.

The most recent one that I can think of is the Mobile defense tank; the box shot shows the front tracks structure with a axel cross-brace.

The final model just had pins. There are a few other recent cases I've seen, but they slip my mind.