Technic 2014 Discussion and Speculation

[aol000xw]

Posting something here just to make rm8 think someone leaked photos.

I will add some bla bla bla...

So what month does Lego usually release the first sets every year? I assume nothing new just before Christmas.

[maxxens]

Usually the first leaks come out around this month, but the first public news come out in around two months.

[paul_delahaye]

I assume nothing new just before Christmas.

Often some of the sets pop up before Christmas in certain markets, although they are not supposed to be sold until January. Someone always manages to get a set off ebay or something.

[allanp]

Well guys, in order to not offend anyone this time i'm currently practicing how to sound joyful and happy when the first pictures start appearing.

"YEY, yet more un lifelike gearboxes and LAs, that's exciting isn't it!"

"Oh look, is that a knob wheel right next to the function? "

"Hooray, look at all that colour vomit! I've always said everything needs to look like a sick pizza to counter the fact that 1 part per step maybe 1 part too many for the target demographic!"

Yeah, i'm working on it, pwomise

[AVCampos]

I wouldn't buy any more LEGO Technic if I were you.

[N-4K0]

1 part per step maybe 1 part too many for the target demographic!"

If 1 part per step is 1 too many, we would never get through the instructions

[rm8]

If 1 part per step is 1 too many, we would never get through the instructions

New step appeared: "look at this beauty and follow next step"

[DrJB]

Well, in all fairness .... there are not only zero steps but also NEGATIVE steps .... Rememebr on the crawler where you have to built a large liftarms contraption to align the front and rear tires .... just so that you remove it later? Actually, it is not one negative step, it is rather multiple wasted steps .... to build such contraption. Well, either that or you end up with a crooked steering.

[jantjeuh]

So they're not really wasted steps, are they?

[1974]

Yeah, i'm working on it, pwomise

Grumpy old man! (<- I will buy you a beer anytime though if you get near my pub) But I do have similar feelings, meself

But there's a really perfect cure for that LA'ed simpleton colour vomit, just buy MISB old sets. There's nothing like it .. Piercing the virgin seals of a vintage 1986 model, is justs

(Just done a 8860, that - while not exactly the pinnacle of Technic - was a helluva lot more fun than a load of recent sets I've build)

..

Back OT :

Looks like TLG have a sort of theme going on with 42008, 8109, 8052 (and probably others). It's a good scale to do a lot of nice Technic functions. Room enough for LAs, pneumatics, motors, lots of gears, outriggers etc. No room for fake engines and a decent cabin interior though

Big enough to build a vast array of vehicles, including some of stuff talked about recently, like cement mixers and garbage trucks - either would not take up an ungodly amount of panels. New curved ones could even be introduced for the cement mixer. Could be handy in many other sets/MOCs, no?

I'd like this 'theme' to be expanded. It makes sense, pricepoint is also okay for me. But PLEASE TLG make some freakin' new wheels okay? NO trucks have lowprofile tyres like dat

So, will there be a truck in that size this year?

..

Looks like the wind up'ers are still going strong too

[Meatman]

Almost a week and no new news.

Pictures have to be leaking soon.

[Saberwing40k]

*grumpy old man voice* Back in mah day, we had 10 parts per step, or more. And you know what we did? We shut up and dealt with it. If Technic is too complex, maybe you shouldn't be building, darn kids.

I mean, if we back then could build with 10 steps per page, what's changed in the demographic to make that no longer possible?

[allanp]

Attention spans have changed I think, and maybe they got complaints from older sets being too hard to build but yeah, it's very boring now, each page of the instructions looks very much like the last with hardly any noticeable progress, and no brain power required. It was cool to turn the page and on one page in the first glimps you would see a big leap forward in progress and it made you wanna get there. Thinking of it that way, maybe having bigger steps where the progress is more noticeable would actually be beneficial to those with smaller attentions spans?

[jorgeopesi]

Attention spans have changed I think, and maybe they got complaints from older sets being too hard to build but yeah, it's very boring now, each page of the instructions looks very much like the last with hardly any noticeable progress, and no brain power required. It was cool to turn the page and on one page in the first glimps you would see a big leap forward in progress and it made you wanna get there. Thinking of it that way, maybe having bigger steps where the progress is more noticeable would actually be beneficial to those with smaller attentions spans?

It would be cool, like build a MOC from another person or a set with only a few pics but we would like only to 4 of us and it would have many complaints, it is for kids not for us we always forget that point. We can always buy a set and take some pages to the manual .

[paul_delahaye]

Almost a week and no new news.

Pictures have to be leaking soon.

A week.......it's been a month since I saw that retailers catalogue and provided info on the sets, I'm just amazed nothing has leaked in this time.

[Blakbird]

I'm not sure it is a decrease in attention span as much as a broadening on the age range. For example, an old set might have been marketed to ages 12-16, but if they can make the instructions simpler and market it to ages 10-16 instead, then they can sell more units. Makes sense from a business perspective.

[Thirdwigg]

I don't mind it. Turning all the pages keeps me young.

[Saberwing40k]

I'm not sure it is a decrease in attention span as much as a broadening on the age range. For example, an old set might have been marketed to ages 12-16, but if they can make the instructions simpler and market it to ages 10-16 instead, then they can sell more units. Makes sense from a business perspective.

Excellent point. The instructions aren't changed because the demographic has changed, it's because they've tried expanding the demographic. Yeah, it makes perfect sense.

Now, if only Lego would make updated versions of the 24x43 tires...

[weavil]

And that's why there is B-model instructions included. It makes it hard to find a certain step/placement online...scroll...scroll...scroll.. that's it!? no...scroll...scroll...

[rm8]

It is time to post 2014 pictures. Please, stop hiding them, I know there are people here who can do that;)

[Cwetqo]

I never had high interest for1H technic sets. I dont like small technic sets, because I think that they are too small to have interesting functions. 20-30 euro sets are ok if they represent sets which are not so big in real life (motorcycles etc...). What I really hate in this years lineup is that they divided large model in to three smaller ones, so that means that we will get LOTS of smaller sets in1H.

42020 Twin-Rotor Helicopter

42021 Snowmobile

42022 Hot Rod

42023 Construction Crew

42024 Container Truck

42026 Black Champion Racer

42027 Desert Racer

There is still hope for march release. We have seen some great sets in that timeslot and I believe that it also be the case this year. And I think that its not included in this list. Might it be the rumored plane?

[allanp]

It would be cool, like build a MOC from another person or a set with only a few pics but we would like only to 4 of us and it would have many complaints, it is for kids not for us we always forget that point. We can always buy a set and take some pages to the manual .

Haha I never forget that it's for kids, the instructions of 10 to 20 years ago was hardley only 4 pictures, the test car was 24 steps and the 8868 was 36 steps and easy enough for me to build when I was below the target age. But Blakbirds point of broadening the demographic is a good point. It could also be that the change to studless had something to do with it. Anywho, I think we're too far off topic now . So where's the pics of the same mechanisms and builds as previous years only in the shapes of different vehicles?!

[rm8]

Ok, it is not agin bla-bla. Listen to News from doublebrick.ru (thanks to Unreal41) about new sets.

Something is not new for you, but this is another info from another "eyes"

42020 Twin-Rotor Helicopter

Very simple model with 2 functions:

- rotating propellers

- opening back cargo bay

Color: black and some blue panels

42027 Desert Racer

Car with the same pull-back motor as 2012-2013 sets. Wheels are 56' - the same as 2013 blue pull back car. Winch is added. Color is mainly orange.

42026 Black Champion Racer 999р

Another pull back car with the same 37' wheels as rear axle on red set. Color os black with chromed (or something like that) stickers. Whole look is like open wheel sport car (F-1 and others)

Both 42026 and 42027 can be joined to one big 6-wheeled truck. May be it uses 2 motors:)

42021 Snowmobile

Very similar to 8272, but small about 20 euro. It uses black small CHAIN-links as chain. Front suspension uses new elements, but suspension arms looks like old one at 8880.

42022 Hot Rod

Very cool car with 43' wheels (like 42008). It include detailed V6 engine, front wheel steering and roof that can be retracted to rear trunk. Color is blue and white with new blue panels. Engine is light bluish gray. I think this is reborn of "Blue Fury" from 90's Model Team theme in Technic forms. Price is near 30-35 Euro.

42023 Construction Crew

3 vehicles, as mentioned before. Blue 6-wheeled dump truck with steering and liftable back. Red excavator with tracks, turntable and small linear actuator. Boom can be "broken" at two points. And the third is red front loader with bucket like in 42004. It includes new tires on old rims. Rims are 30,4' like at 42004, but tires are high-profile: larger than 43, but smaller than 56. May be they are near 50 mm like 8235. Box size is like set 9395 tow truck.

42024 Container Truck

Box size again is like 9395 tow truck. It has 6 wheels with NEW tires. 3 functions:

- steering

- outriggers

- lifting container with two big LA's

It can be motorized. Container is blue. The real prototype is

Edited October 7, 2013 by rm8

[Jim]

Thanks!

New rims as well, or only new tires?

[rm8]

Thanks!

Too early to thank! Do you think thats all?

Top set of 1H will be a HUGE cargo aircraft with price about 150 Euro. It will be equipped with L motor. Functions:

retracting chassis,

opening rear platform,

lifting whole cabin to open access to cargo bay,

rotating propellers

And a stick near the tail that controls ailerons and flaps.

The coolest thing here is color. It is fully white with some blue parts. Number of panels is big! Length of model is about 60 cm. box is like 9397 logging truck.