Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[RichardGoring]

For what it's worth (not a lot), but to add a data point, I do consider the play features when getting modulars. If I don't think it's entertaining for my four year old to play with, I won't get it. However, I agree that a heavily prescribed storyline isn't needed - she can make up her own - but story starters are good. Ultimately though, it's about being able to do something with it. Some kind of play to bring it to life. I think the modulars generally do this well, although the rooms in the split building ones are a little small.

[treffer21]

On 11/14/2020 at 12:30 PM, paupadros said:

Finally something! So a regular-sized modular it is and presumably not a corner if following the now well-established pattern.

Sources confirming these pieces as well @koalayummies? 

 

As for designers, by bet is on another new designer this year. Justin, Marcos, Nick, Niek... all great designers who could do a good job. I'm not too familiar with the AFOL work of any of these but if I recall correctly Marcos did a really good corner modular before joining Lego. I would also love to see the love and attention that is going to the Chinese New Year sets to modulars: you know, the super cool recolours of odd parts and all that. César Soares could also do a super job.

Honestly, as long as it has the technical innovation of a Psiaki design or the cute charm of a Berard design (or both...), I'm down for it! 

I am rolling on the floor when there is no latern in the new modular building

[ReplicaOfLife]

16 hours ago, Agent 86 said:

I’m no Lego designer, but for a starter, they could have ditched the kitchen in the Detective’s Office if it wasn’t necessary for baking cookies for smuggling. A random kitchen above a barber which you have to pass through to get to an office doesn’t make much sense to me. Perhaps the barber could have been increased - I find it very hard getting an adult hand in the barbershop to pose mini figures in the chair. Or maybe the detective could have had a tiny apartment accessible through his office?

For the bank, hopefully the vault could have been fully enclosed. And, I’d ditch the laundry completely - if the money laundering storyline is removed, and focus on making a single purpose, grander bank. 

It’s not solely the “play features” which I don’t like, but the additions necessary for the forced storylines - cookie smuggling and money laundering. A play feature like money coming from an ATM in the bank makes sense to me (except for the quasi early 1900s setting of the Modulars).

This.

The upstairs interior of the blue building in DO makes no sense at all. It's basically a facade with a toilet and a kitchen inside. Just one staircase up from the entrance to the Detective's Office. Makes no sense whatsoever. The entire build of that set does not make much sense. Apart from the kitchen and toilet, the blue building pretty much only serves as the staircase for the DO. Maybe without the storyline, they could've at least included something that made it worthwile. A tiny apartment for Mr. Brickman would've been nice indeed.

I actually don't mind having the launderette next to the bank. But I don't need the 'launderung' play feature. Or the chimnes. Another thing I don't like is that, again, the 'separate building' of the launderette is just facade on the upper floor.
All the bricks wasted on the extra large chimney could've gone into more interior detail, more external flourishes etc.

[Maple]

The most important thing to me is the outside of a modular, that was the whole point of the theme when it started.

[Agent 86]

55 minutes ago, Maple said:

The most important thing to me is the outside of a modular, that was the whole point of the theme when it started.

Same for me. I’m happy with a suggestion on the interiors, with a bit more detail where the inside is easily viewed through large windows.

The Green Grocer is probably the best balance for me. The grocer is more detailed - since you can see inside through the windows. And the apartment is ... suggested, but easy enough for a fan to finish if they wanted to.

[Options]

Being concerned about the playability of a modular for a four year old is like someone complaining about Duplo not having enough adult oriented features.  Wasn’t the original intent of Lego to offer the modular series as a product for adult builders? 

[Factioneer]

44 minutes ago, Agent 86 said:

Same for me. I’m happy with a suggestion on the interiors, with a bit more detail where the inside is easily viewed through large windows.

The Green Grocer is probably the best balance for me. The grocer is more detailed - since you can see inside through the windows. And the apartment is ... suggested, but easy enough for a fan to finish if they wanted to.

I like both, but they balance weirdly in most sets since the Parisian Restaurant. The Detective's Office is a shining example of how incomplete everything is in the 'apartment' and there are other examples. I often expand them to include more that should have/could have had. For example, my DO has a very full luxury apartment for the woman in red to occupy and I gave her a back story that she is a retired Hollywood starlet who moved to a smaller city to live relatively modestly off the royalties from her movies.

I've said this for a few years so forgive me if it's annoying repetition. But I think a cool way to deploy the modulars would be to basically have the building on its own, maybe with a few interior details and a few minifigs in the box. Then Lego could release a suite of smaller sets and poly-bags that are designed when the modular is designed. An instruction sheet/booklet would show how to add them to this year's modular or build it as a stand-alone. One 80-piece set is the apartment kitchen furnishings. Another comprises the ensuite bathroom and furniture for the master bedroom. One poly bag might have the pieces to basically stock the convenience store shelves. So the tow truck for the Corner Garage might be a separate City or Creator set that is perfectly designed to fit and work with that modular, fit inside the garage, etc.

This would address the balance issue between play/interior/exterior. It would allow more detailing on the architecture of the building, but allow those who like the play features and interiors to scale them up. It would truly make them 'modular'.

[RichardGoring]

4 hours ago, Options said:

Being concerned about the playability of a modular for a four year old is like someone complaining about Duplo not having enough adult oriented features.  Wasn’t the original intent of Lego to offer the modular series as a product for adult builders? 

Probably. I did say it was an opinion that wasn't worth a lot, but gives a data point. I completely appreciate that they're intended for adults, but a lot of those adults will be parents. The only reason I started getting modulars was because my daughter started playing with the Ideas Treehouse so much. So from LEGO's perspective, they've go an adult to buy a load of modulars through having some play features. For others it will be interior details. For others (many) it will be exterior detail. Either way, I'm pleased that they balance it. And I like that so many people (of all ages) enjoy them. Looking forward to seeing the 2021 model.

[Rick]

Personally, I prefer the fully furnished interiors and even a little story line. While I like the cookie prohibition and the money laundering themes of DO and BB respectively, I also feel like the build was sacrificed too much to accommodate the associated play features. Those story lines can be included without eating into the piece count or the build. The PR is the perfect example of how that can be accomplished. I still enjoy Jamie's modulars most. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's little touches here and there and very clever use of space. Still waiting for that post office or police station...

[Options]

As a collector of modular buildings, and lego secondarily, I’m just happy their are other choices out there. 

[MAB]

13 hours ago, Factioneer said:

I like both, but they balance weirdly in most sets since the Parisian Restaurant. The Detective's Office is a shining example of how incomplete everything is in the 'apartment' and there are other examples. I often expand them to include more that should have/could have had. For example, my DO has a very full luxury apartment for the woman in red to occupy and I gave her a back story that she is a retired Hollywood starlet who moved to a smaller city to live relatively modestly off the royalties from her movies.

I've said this for a few years so forgive me if it's annoying repetition. But I think a cool way to deploy the modulars would be to basically have the building on its own, maybe with a few interior details and a few minifigs in the box. Then Lego could release a suite of smaller sets and poly-bags that are designed when the modular is designed. An instruction sheet/booklet would show how to add them to this year's modular or build it as a stand-alone. One 80-piece set is the apartment kitchen furnishings. Another comprises the ensuite bathroom and furniture for the master bedroom. One poly bag might have the pieces to basically stock the convenience store shelves. So the tow truck for the Corner Garage might be a separate City or Creator set that is perfectly designed to fit and work with that modular, fit inside the garage, etc.

This would address the balance issue between play/interior/exterior. It would allow more detailing on the architecture of the building, but allow those who like the play features and interiors to scale them up. It would truly make them 'modular'.

But then instead of one set, they need a set for the building, then multiple smaller sets for extensions. Instead of one product, they then need to deal with 4-5. Then there are the complaints that someone bought up all the kitchen sets and they are out of stock so there is no point in buying the building, or the modular gets bought up and there are large stocks of the polybags that don't have instructions to fit in any other building. Also complaints that now you have to buy add-on sets to furnish a building, whereas in the past these were included in the price. For the sake of the equivalent of a couple of 80 small piece add-on sets, they might as well just include those parts in the set so that they know what the build experience will be for all builders.

[AFOLguy1970]

41 minutes ago, MAB said:

But then instead of one set, they need a set for the building, then multiple smaller sets for extensions. Instead of one product, they then need to deal with 4-5. Then there are the complaints that someone bought up all the kitchen sets and they are out of stock so there is no point in buying the building, or the modular gets bought up and there are large stocks of the polybags that don't have instructions to fit in any other building. Also complaints that now you have to buy add-on sets to furnish a building, whereas in the past these were included in the price. For the sake of the equivalent of a couple of 80 small piece add-on sets, they might as well just include those parts in the set so that they know what the build experience will be for all builders.

They could offer polybags like they have made to complement the City line(plants, light fixtures, etc.)  Instead, you could have beds, cabinets, tables, chairs. etc in a few polybags.  Most of the modulars have some type of living space that could accommodate these.  

I am in total agreement with those that are not in favor of sacrificing parts and the overall design for a storyline.  Most of us display modulars, therefore the interior is unseen for >99% of the time.  I would hate to have so much of the part inventory spent on something that is largely going to remain unseen for most of the time.  PR remains the best set for me so far.  I looks good on all sides.  It has a storyline, but you only really needed one extra part to bring it out (the ring).  It has a very nice exterior and some nice interior parts, therefore something for everyone.  

The one exception where I would want a more detailed interior would be in a situation where you could easily see it.  Something like an arcade might work.  There is a lot of 80s nostalgia out there, and an 80s style arcade would be amazing if done right.  Preferably, it would have a way to easily see inside.  

[Options]

Interiors are sooooo easy.  Just to start, google ‘build lego furniture’ and you’ll get many, many ideas.  Plus, the furniture builds for a modular are so small that it’s relatively easy to figure out the piece inventory needed. As for story lines, well, we all have an imagination to one degree or another...........and, that’s free.

[JintaiZ]

2 hours ago, Options said:

Interiors are sooooo easy.  Just to start, google ‘build lego furniture’ and you’ll get many, many ideas.  Plus, the furniture builds for a modular are so small that it’s relatively easy to figure out the piece inventory needed. As for story lines, well, we all have an imagination to one degree or another...........and, that’s free.

Right, they're easy to make... but it's not that easy to make an interior everybody likes...

[Options]

36 minutes ago, JintaiZ said:

Right, they're easy to make... but it's not that easy to make an interior everybody likes...

True!  Another reason why I prefer DIY interiors.  ?

[Agent 86]

I think Friends experimented with interiors / rooms packs? I’d intended to grab some to help furnish the Cafe Corner, but they came and went pretty quickly.

I’m not opposed to add-ons for Modulars, but they need to be easily available. I missed the flower cart for the DO and the ... statue (?) for the BB. I think there was another one? And we have the winning AFOL designed car coming up, although that probably won’t tie into the next Modular directly.

[Vindicare]

On 11/17/2020 at 2:53 PM, Agent 86 said:

Same for me. I’m happy with a suggestion on the interiors, with a bit more detail where the inside is easily viewed through large windows.

The Green Grocer is probably the best balance for me. The grocer is more detailed - since you can see inside through the windows. And the apartment is ... suggested, but easy enough for a fan to finish if they wanted to.

Exactly. Green Grocer is the perfect blueprint how Modulars should be done. If you have a visible ground floor, fill it & leave the rest bate. I don’t care much for interiors either, as I don’t see them. They do add a bit more during the build, but I’d be fine without them as long as exterior detail was pumped up. 

[SFmuscle73]

I think Playmobile does theIr interiors as separate kits...  I’m not and advocate or hater just bringing that to light.  Someone correct me if I am wrong about Playmobile...

[MAB]

20 hours ago, AFOLguy1970 said:

I am in total agreement with those that are not in favor of sacrificing parts and the overall design for a storyline.  Most of us display modulars, therefore the interior is unseen for >99% of the time.  I would hate to have so much of the part inventory spent on something that is largely going to remain unseen for most of the time.  PR remains the best set for me so far.  I looks good on all sides.  It has a storyline, but you only really needed one extra part to bring it out (the ring).  It has a very nice exterior and some nice interior parts, therefore something for everyone.  

The one exception where I would want a more detailed interior would be in a situation where you could easily see it.  Something like an arcade might work.  There is a lot of 80s nostalgia out there, and an 80s style arcade would be amazing if done right.  Preferably, it would have a way to easily see inside.  

You can use the same argument for the back. Many people display modulars up against a wall, all in a row. So just do away with the backs, save bricks there. And if you place them in a row, you can do away with a lot of the side walls too. In some cases, they could just be a facade with a roof supported by a couple of stacks. No need for floors either if all you are doing is displaying them.

17 hours ago, Options said:

Interiors are sooooo easy.  Just to start, google ‘build lego furniture’ and you’ll get many, many ideas. 

Yes, but if you google "lego modular MOC" you'll also get many many ideas for whole buildings. 

17 hours ago, Options said:

Plus, the furniture builds for a modular are so small that it’s relatively easy to figure out the piece inventory needed. 

Indeed, they are typically so small, that leaving them out of the set isn't really going to save significant money or give many parts to be used elsewhere. You just end up with empty builds. They could also leave out the minifigures, and any vehicles. They could be bought separately, so why include them. 

Take the Corner Garage. Does it really matter that there are play features such as the car elevator and the roll-up door which could be removed and replaced with a single glass panel, respectively. Remove everything from the vet section, so there is just a sticker saying it is a vet surgery, but just an empty room inside. If there is nothing inside, why even bother with the vet sign? Leave it up to the imagination of the builder. Similarly, remove the furniture and everything else (no need for stairs) from the upper floor too. Some of these items are built into the walls, so cannot just be added later without more significant modification.

If all the details (exterior or interior) start getting removed, even if you choose not to look at them, I think the modulars become a bit boring.

 

 

[Vindicare]

8 hours ago, MAB said:

If all the details (exterior or interior) start getting removed, even if you choose not to look at them, I think the modulars become a bit boring.

This is why I’m not completely opposed to interiors, they add a lot to the build process(even if those damn floors can be tedious to place). The different techniques for all the different furniture & other details have been pretty great & has been fun seeing them evolve since the beginning. 

[legotownlinz]

I don't see any reason to remove interiors or save parts somewhere else. Modulars should get better, not worse, and I hope that Lego will manage to offer sets with more pieces at the same price. Otherwise, their offers will soon look underwhelming compared to the ones of competitors. Imho they already do, other brands do not save tiles of the upper floors...

Edited November 19, 2020 by legotownlinz

[Kirton Bricks]

As we speculate on what the modular will be - do you think it will be built any 'higher up' to fit in with the new brick built road design? Or will it carry on as is?

[brimbolet]

1 hour ago, Kirton Bricks said:

As we speculate on what the modular will be - do you think it will be built any 'higher up' to fit in with the new brick built road design? Or will it carry on as is?

Personally, I don't think so... the upcoming Chinese seasonal https://brickset.com/sets/80107-1/Spring-Lantern-Festival has the traditional baseplates and the new roads will be City only I guess.

[MAB]

2 hours ago, Kirton Bricks said:

As we speculate on what the modular will be - do you think it will be built any 'higher up' to fit in with the new brick built road design? Or will it carry on as is?

As is. I don't see any reason to change the baseplate footing.

[Brick387]

It has been speculated that Lego will be introducing new brick built roads. But nobody ever said they'd be replacing the road baseplates. I also agree that the new road plates will probably be for city only.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Brick387
Fixed grammatical errors