Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[ReplicaOfLife]

 

On 10/15/2020 at 6:49 PM, The_Grizzlysnake said:

If so, this is the first instance I’ve heard of where a set was retired before the one directly preceding it in the same theme. 
(Correct me if I’m wrong)

In addition to the ones @mark1991t mentioned, there's also the famous case of the unloved Town Hall, which retired the same year as Grand Emporium, while Pet Shop remained on the shelves long after (and even got a new production run).

[The Brick Boss]

12 hours ago, jonwil said:

An older-style police station could work very well IMO. The fire brigade was very popular even though they released and still release fire stations in City all the time, a police station could work very well for the same reasons if done right (I would buy one for sure)

If they did a post office they could continue the theme of the Assembly Square and Corner Garage and have something medical on the upper floor (an optometrist would be really cool to see, I think the closest we have come is that eye chart sticker from the 2018 hospital set)

I think something recreation (such as a bowling alley or a video game arcade) would also be very popular.

 

Yo! You should've seen this 50s style bus terminal on Lego Ideas. It was also connected to a coffee shop. Personally, I would've done something that was never done in a modular before. Like a small casino or something. I think it could work. 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Brandon Pea

[Factioneer]

Here's the winner from the contest to design a car for (I presume) the next modular building. Since THE LEGO GROUP's Creator Expert team ultimately decided which vehicle design from the pool of top vote-getters is the ultimate winner, maybe this car can give us some clues as to what sort of building we might see. Thoughts?

http://ideas.lego.com/challenges/bafd4186-bb49-4eb0-903f-910415f04391/application/5be7f2a0-e87b-46c3-8257-51e725e60d9f

[BrickFit26]

On 10/16/2020 at 4:29 PM, Brandon Pea said:

Yeah! Especially for City. Could have a mail van and an envelope dispenser for action. 

Yes. I'm thinking small office supply store could go along with a post office.

[jonwil]

16 hours ago, Brandon Pea said:

Yo! You should've seen this 50s style bus terminal on Lego Ideas. It was also connected to a coffee shop. Personally, I would've done something that was never done in a modular before. Like a small casino or something. I think it could work. 

No way LEGO would do anything even remotely connected to gambling.

 

[paupadros]

Hadn't been here in a little while. Some thoughts:

On 10/11/2020 at 1:43 AM, jonwil said:

Cool Yellow (as used on the FIAT) would be a nice color to see. As would Sand Yellow (as seen to great effect on the Creator Model Town House from 2007). More Earth Green and Earth Blue would be nice as well. More bright orange too (but that's probably too bright for a modular building).

I would ask for more Dark Red but the GHBQ satisfied my needs there :)

I've worked recently on a Cool Yellow modular. I tried it out and I think it's a little too much on it own. I paired it with Light Royal Blue and they look wonderful. That said, I wouldn't be surprised with another building on the brown realm; we've had DO, AS, CG and Bookshop with at least a brown or nougat coloured building.

 

As for businesses, again based on the ones I've done that Lego hasn't still: Magic Shop, Record Store, Art Gallery, Newspaper Office (don't know how to call it, the place where there are lots of desks and people writing stories), Newspaper Press (with the machinery and all), Model Store, Rug Store  ... yeah some are very specific.

 

A bit of a bold prediction for my side: I'm feeling like this year will be the Post Office finally. Most of it is pure gut, but since we got Bookshop with was a historic one they'd never done last year, that's what I'm feeling.

 

2 hours ago, jonwil said:

No way LEGO would do anything even remotely connected to gambling.

Vegas Architecure set? 

[jonwil]

I think in the instance of the Vegas set they aren't showing anything gambling or talking about it, rather they talk about the architecture. (and gambling is only a part of the total floor space of those buildings with most of it being the hotels and other stuff)

 

[The Brick Boss]

15 minutes ago, jonwil said:

I think in the instance of the Vegas set they aren't showing anything gambling or talking about it, rather they talk about the architecture. (and gambling is only a part of the total floor space of those buildings with most of it being the hotels and other stuff)

 

Given that modulars are supposed to be for older people, I'm sure they can make an exception. Besides, it's not like they have to show the inappropriate sides of it. They can just have the slot machines, pool hall or the blackjack tables. Lego is good at that. How do you think they are able to do what they do with City? 

Edited October 18, 2020 by Brandon Pea

[ReplicaOfLife]

3 hours ago, paupadros said:

I've worked recently on a Cool Yellow modular. I tried it out and I think it's a little too much on it own. I paired it with Light Royal Blue and they look wonderful. That said, I wouldn't be surprised with another building on the brown realm; we've had DO, AS, CG and Bookshop with at least a brown or nougat coloured building.

 

I'd be totally in favor of them using cool yellow on a modular (after all, I was inspired by cimddwcs cool yellow Trike Store to do own first modular ages ago). But with things going as they arem, the next might be medium azure or something (now that they established that with the small Creator houses).

A brown one (as in reddish brown, like the Pet Shop Town House) would be great aswell, except for the sides of the sand blue building in AS, they haven't used that color again in modulars, even though it's a pretty good one.

Still, I'm hoping for a color they haven't used before. I've recently been thinking that bright light orange might work in a modular - if used as a contrast color. So the main building could be dark red, or reddish brown, and then there'd be details done in bright like orange. Might look cool.

[Fuppylodders]

@ReplicaOfLife

Love the look of your top left signature building! I think that easily shows cool yellow can indeed work by itself as the 'main' colour, with other darker shades to compliment it. 

I've also done a recolour of the Townhall to cool yellow, and it mixes very well with white. Doesn't seem too much on its own at all as far as I'm concerned. 

(don't have a pic of it by itself I'm afraid) 

I do wonder if @Factioneer is onto something we keep forgetting about... That contest winners car being included with the next set... Which might hint at what we could be getting.

Going from that? A 1950's car show room on ground floor and some random other business on the first floor. That'd be my guess that I'd happily put a wager on. 

[Factioneer]

2 hours ago, Fuppylodders said:

@ReplicaOfLife

Love the look of your top left signature building! I think that easily shows cool yellow can indeed work by itself as the 'main' colour, with other darker shades to compliment it. 

I've also done a recolour of the Townhall to cool yellow, and it mixes very well with white. Doesn't seem too much on its own at all as far as I'm concerned. 

(don't have a pic of it by itself I'm afraid) 

I do wonder if @Factioneer is onto something we keep forgetting about... That contest winners car being included with the next set... Which might hint at what we could be getting.

Going from that? A 1950's car show room on ground floor and some random other business on the first floor. That'd be my guess that I'd happily put a wager on. 

I think the car might be the (only?) (best?) clue we have at the moment. Your idea for a car dealership is good — since we know the designers tried to make one before morphing it into the Diner. Some of my ideas tied to that 50s convertible are a building at the beach, like maybe a hotel, a dance hall...or a record shop. I guessed a record shop last year when LEGO posted on Instagram that their hint for the next modular was “Sounds like The Police.” Still not sure how that hint played out with any of the sets we got released. ?

Just now, Factioneer said:

I think the car might be the (only?) (best?) clue we have at the moment. Your idea for a car dealership is good — since we know the designers tried to make one before morphing it into the Diner. Some of my ideas tied to that 50s convertible are a building at the beach, like maybe a hotel, a dance hall...or a record shop. I guessed a record shop last year when LEGO posted on Instagram that their hint for the next modular was “Sounds like The Police.” Still not sure how that hint played out with any of the sets we got released. ?

 

2 hours ago, Fuppylodders said:

@ReplicaOfLife

Love the look of your top left signature building! I think that easily shows cool yellow can indeed work by itself as the 'main' colour, with other darker shades to compliment it. 

I've also done a recolour of the Townhall to cool yellow, and it mixes very well with white. Doesn't seem too much on its own at all as far as I'm concerned. 

(don't have a pic of it by itself I'm afraid) 

I do wonder if @Factioneer is onto something we keep forgetting about... That contest winners car being included with the next set... Which might hint at what we could be getting.

Going from that? A 1950's car show room on ground floor and some random other business on the first floor. That'd be my guess that I'd happily put a wager on. 

Also, not sure it’s been made clear that the car will be included. Maybe it will be a polybag or a giveaway for Lego club members. 

[The Stud]

I think a modular Hotel would be amazing, but I don’t know if that’s feasible for this line. It would have to be ginormous and I’m not sure if a hotel could be done on the typical 32x32 baseplate like the majority of Modular Buildings.

I’ll go with what others have said and hope for a Post Office soon. I’m not too picky when it comes to colors, though I think it’d be cool if it could somehow incorporate the red and yellow color scheme of the 2006 Mail line from Lego City.

Edited October 18, 2020 by The Stud

[autolycus]

You’re all speculating off bad info. They were very clear that the car contest was for a Gift with Purchase set, just like the rocket ride was before. It will not be part of the next modular set. It is way too big to be a poly bag. It’s going to be a GWP. It also probably says nothing at all about what the next building is. The contest was in 2019, the year Corner Garage was released. Of course you’d want another car to go with the garage and the tow truck.

[ReplicaOfLife]

4 hours ago, Fuppylodders said:

@ReplicaOfLife

Love the look of your top left signature building! I think that easily shows cool yellow can indeed work by itself as the 'main' colour, with other darker shades to compliment it. 

I've also done a recolour of the Townhall to cool yellow, and it mixes very well with white. Doesn't seem too much on its own at all as far as I'm concerned. 

 

Thanks. That's the one I mentioned in my post, my very first modular.

Town Hall in cool yellow is something I hadn't seen before, very interesting idea. Suddenly, the building fits in better in southern cities.

[koalayummies]

6 hours ago, Fuppylodders said:

I've also done a recolour of the Townhall to cool yellow, and it mixes very well with white. Doesn't seem too much on its own at all as far as I'm concerned.

Always like seeing the official modulars recolored. That looks really cool.

[Fuppylodders]

4 hours ago, autolycus said:

You’re all speculating off bad info. They were very clear that the car contest was for a Gift with Purchase set, just like the rocket ride was before. It will not be part of the next modular set. It is way too big to be a poly bag. It’s going to be a GWP. It also probably says nothing at all about what the next building is. The contest was in 2019, the year Corner Garage was released. Of course you’d want another car to go with the garage and the tow truck.

Then just throw my guess in amongst the other millions of hopes and wishes for what is coming next. Makes no difference, we will get what we will get. 

1 hour ago, koalayummies said:

Always like seeing the official modulars recolored. That looks really cool.

Thanks, it does, I actually prefer it if I'm honest. I hadn't seen it done in cool yellow before, and thought it'd be cheaper than bricklinking the original colours. 

 

How wrong was I 

[MAH4546]

21 hours ago, jonwil said:

No way LEGO would do anything even remotely connected to gambling.

 

Paradisa had a casino set. Western had a crooks hideout with card room. There’s a Vega architecture set. 

Edited October 19, 2020 by MAH4546

[tman684]

13 hours ago, MAH4546 said:

Paradisa had a casino set. Western had a crooks hideout with card room. There’s a Vega architecture set. 

Architecture is different because that only focuses on the... architecture of the buildings, not what goes on within. The other two you listed are also 30 years old. Not recent enough to uphold the precedent they set. 

Edited October 19, 2020 by tman684

[Fuppylodders]

3 hours ago, tman684 said:

Architecture is different because that only focuses on the... architecture of the buildings, not what goes on within. The other two you listed are also 30 years old. Not recent enough to uphold the precedent they set. 

In this day and age, TLG are fast moving away from many precedences they've previously set for many scenarios, and pushing through new barriers. While this specific precedence might not be one that requires much thought to agree it being upheld, it wouldn't surprise me if somehow in any light manner it was also sidestepped to some degree. It is difficult to know where TLG draw their lines given how they wouldn't do moe's tavern likely because promotes drinking, but they did the star wars cantina, where literally its a place for drinking. Both are in a fantasy universe, but one also had murder and dubious business occur at it. And that's the set they made. 

Brick bank had money laundering included. Am sure there's a lot more that could be stated too. 

[peedeejay]

Having build three if the possible mentions here myself, a casino, a school and a police station, I could only see the latter. A casino will never happen because of the gambling aspect as mentioned and a school seems almost impossible with the size snd part count restrictions. A police station however could work.

[Brick387]

Definitely hoping for another American building to go with my DD and CG. Maybe a car dealership or a police station. Hopefully if it's a police station they won't call it Police Precinct. After getting 'BS' last year we don't need 'PP' as another funny short form...

[Vindicare]

9 hours ago, Fuppylodders said:

In this day and age, TLG are fast moving away from many precedences they've previously set for many scenarios, and pushing through new barriers. While this specific precedence might not be one that requires much thought to agree it being upheld, it wouldn't surprise me if somehow in any light manner it was also sidestepped to some degree. It is difficult to know where TLG draw their lines given how they wouldn't do moe's tavern likely because promotes drinking, but they did the star wars cantina, where literally its a place for drinking. Both are in a fantasy universe, but one also had murder and dubious business occur at it. And that's the set they made. 

Brick bank had money laundering included. Am sure there's a lot more that could be stated too. 

While they made it kid friendly, there was the cookie smuggling ring in the Detective’s Office, and the accompanying Flower Cart polybag. I know a fair amount of people weren’t fans of it, but I loved it. Ace still hasn’t figured out if Al is involved... I suppose they could have candy/snack betting, which would be kinda hilarious. 

As for a police station, it has to be a 30’s one with the big stairs out front & the globes on the ends. Preferably with “POLICE” written on them. 

Edited October 20, 2020 by Vindicare

[jonwil]

The police station from The Simpsons is exactly the style of police station that would look good as a modular IMO.

 

[Myowntrain]

Maybe it would be nice that TLG makes a some sort of an abandoned modular building like a haunted house that would fit with the existing modular building. 

Or they could quit the modular building series with a different modular series, like suburban houses with a little garden in the front and spaces between the buildings. 

I am just thinking about a new idea for the modular series, because I have some doubts about TLG releasing these modular buildings in a way they do it currently. I think they can't do it for decades, because it becomes harder to make new next level outstanding buildings as they have released more modular buildings over time. 

 

[Aanchir]

On 10/19/2020 at 3:06 PM, Fuppylodders said:

In this day and age, TLG are fast moving away from many precedences they've previously set for many scenarios, and pushing through new barriers. While this specific precedence might not be one that requires much thought to agree it being upheld, it wouldn't surprise me if somehow in any light manner it was also sidestepped to some degree. It is difficult to know where TLG draw their lines given how they wouldn't do moe's tavern likely because promotes drinking, but they did the star wars cantina, where literally its a place for drinking. Both are in a fantasy universe, but one also had murder and dubious business occur at it. And that's the set they made. 

That may be true, but I also think Moe's Tavern not becoming a set could just as easily be because The Simpsons was a very small, short-lived theme with few sets, so it was easy for the designers to come up with enough family-friendly locations for however many sets they saw demand for before ever needing to resort to more controversial options like Moe's Tavern. Plus, it's much easier to keep a futuristic fantasy setting like Mos Eisley Cantina recognizable and playable without portraying any realistic-looking alcoholic beverages than it would be with Moe's Tavern.

With the modular buildings, LEGO has an even wider range of potential settings to choose from before needing to consider less family-friendly options than they did with The Simpsons. So I don't think they'd need to push the envelope any further than they have previously. Plus, nothing's stopping them from finding kid-friendly equivalents for more adult settings or scenarios, just like they did with the cookie smuggling and the pool hall in the Detective's Office set.

For example, an arcade makes a pretty good substitute for a casino, and it's not uncommon for video game developers to make that same conversion when localizing games with casino-inspired locations or minigames to countries with tighter regulations on simulated gambling. All you'd need to do is furnish it with coin-op arcade machines instead of slot machines or roulette tables and non-wager-based card games or tabletop games in place of casino card games.

Most of my own attempts at MOCing an arcade for modular buildings have been more focused on the sorts of video arcade machines that were around when I was growing up, but even if you prefer for the modular buildings to stick to an earlier setting, there are also plenty of early 20th century arcade machines to choose from, like pinball machines, fortune teller machines, target shooting machines, Skee-Ball machines, slot-car racing tracks, strength-tester machines, etc. Using machines like this in place of casino games works especially well given that they had a similar sort of sinister reputation in the early 20th century, but are now nowhere near as controversial.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Aanchir