Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[PastVPresent]

Earlier this year, I saw an excellent Lego version of the above building. It was simply outstanding. It was huge. The eBay auction price, if I recall correctly, had a $16,000 USD buy it now price. But, it was massive and well detailed. I can't find it in my google search, but someone else might have a picture of it or it may be in an earlier thread.

Maybe the Sean Kenney version here: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/156919 ? Pretty incredible

[Off the wall]

Thanks. Wow.

[Robin Lego]

First I'd like to thank Robin Lego for the garden idea. Below is how my modulars are displayed with a MOC church. I hope you enjoy the video.

Eddie

Hope this works...

Nice display EddieZ! I like your park! Did I inspire you to build this?

This might be interesting for all those nice modulars that don't make it through the LEGO IDEAS review stage...

"BrickLink has launched another platform for users to submit and share their MOCs that aren’t commercialized, CUUSOO BRICK."

http://www.thebrickfan.com/cuusoo-brick-launches-today/

[EddieZ]

Robin Lego, Yes, your garden was the inspiration. We lost our 15 year old airedale terrier recently and decided to make the garden in her honor.

Eddie

[LegoGuyK]

Has anyone heard any rumours about what the next modular is going to be? You probably don't, we won't find out for another...however more months.

[Off the wall]

Has anyone heard any rumours about what the next modular is going to be? You probably don't, we won't find out for another...however more months.

Look at the previous page. I think Moebius118 has some insight.

[LegoGuyK]

Look at the previous page. I think Moebius118 has some insight.

Thanks!

Edited December 19, 2014 by LegoGuyK

[Off the wall]

I keep reading that the GE is a boring build. Fine. I can understand why people say that due to what they call the 'repetitive' nature of the build, but.......aren't certain buildings just inherently boring by virtue of their real world design? Most real world buildings like Robie House in the architecture series or the Grand Emporium (Inspired, I've been told, by an English store) have a design that requires repetitive building activity. The only way to get around it is to modify the real world building that's the inspiration for the modular or design a building from scratch. The merit I see in a build like the DO is that the designer can create an experience involving a build that is non repetitive. However, my MOD will probably turn it into a more repetitive build.

Just because I can find buildings like the Sagrada familia and headline it doesn't mean most (not all) real buildings aren't repetitive. Especially the more modern ones.

So, to a certain extent, I suppose I should thank Lego designers for thinking outside of the box on some of the modulars. Doesn't mean I like the design, but it's better than having the hundreds of cheese wedges that you have in the Tower Bridge. Repetition......fine in recreating something like the tower bridge. Not so fine in the modular series.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Off the wall

[Moebius118]

Has anyone heard any rumours about what the next modular is going to be? You probably don't, we won't find out for another...however more months.

Look at the previous page. I think Moebius118 has some insight.

If by rumors or insight you mean barely comprehensible blathering, then yes.

Come to me.

For all of it.

[Herky]

I love the bank ideas, especially since I work for one, but only in the back office...personally I hope the Museum on lego Ideas gets a go, but if not, the bank would be sweet and yes, have to have the launcher, talk about a story, since this is AFOL territory, shouldn't we get an AFOL story?

GE, I liked it, thought the lower floor was fun and sure the escalator/stairs were repetitive, but it's a modular building, going to be repetitive as you say. Anyone who has ever put up walls knows you have studs every 16 inches (here in the US anyway, old time it used to be 12) and there is nothing more repetitive than putting 2x4's into framing. Then the electrical/plumbing and sheetrock on top, tape, mud, sand, paint, trim...not exactly New Year's Eve drop the ball stuff there.

[Off the wall]

Right.

That's why real building design might not be in the thoughts of modular designers. Many real structures are so repetitive. I would like to see more large, realistic builds in the architecture series. More releases. Things like a 4000 piece Chrysler building. Then, I could see making the modulars more like fantasy land with their story lines and detailed non structural pieces. I mean, give me a 3000 to 4000 piece real building every year along with a few smaller ones in the architecture series, and I'll forget about what bothers me with the modulars.

[Rob1321]

How about an old fashioned Dr's office with a pharmacy on top?

[Moebius118]

I love the bank ideas, especially since I work for one, but only in the back office...personally I hope the Museum on lego Ideas gets a go, but if not, the bank would be sweet and yes, have to have the launcher, talk about a story, since this is AFOL territory, shouldn't we get an AFOL story?

Absolutely yes. I think that has been a point of contention with me, that AFOL stories don't need play features as presented in the DO. If I was going to present any type of prohibition story, those features honestly would not help. We can do far better than that ourselves.

In case of a modular bank, I could have my overstaffed LEGO police force happily gather boxes and boxes of bank account transaction papers for a subpoena as the bank is indicted for multiple counts of insider trading and racketeering.

These things are AFOL stories. They require no features to be built into the bank itself. The DO itself would prove useful too in such a AFOL story.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Moebius118

[Off the wall]

Absolutely yes. I think that has been a point of contention with me, that AFOL stories don't need play features as presented in the DO. If I was going to present any type of prohibition story, those features honestly would not help. We can do far better than that ourselves.

In case of a modular bank, I could have my overstaffed LEGO police force happily gather boxes and boxes of bank account transaction papers for a subpoena as the bank is indicted for multiple counts of insider trading and racketeering.

These things are AFOL stories. They require no features to be built into the bank itself. The DO itself would prove useful too in such a AFOL story.

My story line would be subprime lenders cranking out loans to unqualified buyers and causing a global financial crisis. But, wait, that's already happened. Back to the drawing, or writing, board.

[Moebius118]

My story line would be subprime lenders cranking out loans to unqualified buyers and causing a global financial crisis. But, wait, that's already happened. Back to the drawing, or writing, board.

Yes but has it been told through LEGO? If yes where? I want to see it.

[Off the wall]

If by rumors or insight you mean barely comprehensible blathering, then yes.

Come to me.

For all of it.

Yes, but at least your honest about it. :-)

[lightningtiger]

How about an old fashioned Dr's office with a pharmacy on top?

Wouldn't that be a pharmacy or drug store on the bottom......hmm, drugs store....drugs....nope Lego I doubt would go drug store only because of the name.......pharmacy would be the way to go there.

Now maybe a bank eh ?

Would be one of those typical huge stone work frontage with a police officer standing guard in the front door, a huge safe and fancy manager's office upstairs.

Yeah, only guesses now right because I feel it will be six months at least before we even get a sniff of what might be coming next.

[Moebius118]

Here is a concern of mine, possibly repeated.

Say there is a pharmacy/drugstore modular internally pitched for development/sale, which by the way I am 100% for.

Would the design team be limited/restricted by a directive to include play features or is this a one off instance with only the Detective's Office? I could only imagine it would be rather difficult to incorporate actual play features into the building of a pharmacy. Not so much worried about it affecting a future bank modular, but other establishments like drugstores or fish markets or recording studios may face the chopping block by default due to their inability to house a play feature.

I can only hope there is no such initiative in place hindering the future selection of modular ideas/themes.

If there is I fear we will end up with police/fire/hospital modulars for years to come.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Moebius118

[lightningtiger]

Perhaps they are trying to avoid a police station because the city range is mainly stocked with high levels of police activity ?

Though a court house would be interesting......I wonder if the JB is reading our comments ?

[TheLegoDr]

I am considering the story along with any physical play features to be a play feature in itself. But there isn't much that I can think of.

The DO has the removable hidden areas to facilitate the barrels of goods.

The TH has the elevator I guess as a play feature, especially since they haven't put in another one, just stairs. But in that same breath the revolving door on the GE could be a play feature instead of a neat detail.

I guess the DO does stand out a bit in that regard. I doubt they would do a pharmacy, period. Let alone one with any play features. Not much to do there. It seems, medical world is only a small amount of LEGO's City line. Although you'd think plenty of kids want to play as a doctor or nurse.

[Rob1321]

I love the play features of some modulars but to scrap an idea/building because it didn't have any would be terrible and would defeat the purpose of modulars being targeted at adults.

[Moebius118]

I think these points represent notable parameters or assumptions of the AFOL target audience.

1. I believe AFOLs to have a higher tolerance to seemingly "mundane" establishments. Example: A post office or pharmacy. I cannot speak for the actual sales demand of such modular themes however I can safely conclude there would not be significant opposition among AFOLs to such ordinary everyday buildings.
   
2. Play features may be considered to be additions to a building not complimentary or even detrimental to the aesthetic features of the building. I think the Town hall elevator qualifies as there were many points made against the inclusion of it. The fire brigade pole was non obtrusive and less so. This is a gray area in most cases as if it is not obvious such as a launcher or things where the user is required to complete moving actual elements of the set around. PR PS GG CC all were safely absent of play features and faced no backlash from the lack thereof.
   

I think how much they emphasize these two points may have a very strong hand in any future direction of modulars and how well AFOLs will take them.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Moebius118

[Herky]

Actually you are right, what story line/play feature could there be for a bank that is child like enough to warrant it. There is already a bank heist set in the city line modeled after a bank in Arizona, the bank for Gringott's has the Harry Potter story already, there is a bank in the Lone Ranger series which of course has that story (horrible movie by the way, Lego really did not need to produce this line, must have been a "have to do" to get the Disney line for princesses) so a modular bank with a full 3 story building would have what kind of story for kids? Barney Fife standing guard while a Brinks trucks arrives to unload? The more I think about all this, there is virtually no kiddie story line to go along with a bank...scratch that one from the buildings to come.

The Museum at least could have a kiddie story. Jamie could really spin a yarn with that one.

[lightningtiger]

Mundane.....I guess us AFOL's prefer the mundane buildings because they make up a real city......kids generally want play factor while still trying to copy real life.

Though thinking about it just now......JB could of gave us a candy speak-easy.....don't forget to use the secret knock right ?

[LegoGuyK]

How about an old fashioned Dr's office with a pharmacy on top?

I guess that would be interesting.