LEGO Ideas Discussion

[Toastie]

When I saw the announcement this morning, I thought they accidentally added a T to the BS. 

And the winner is: "The LEGO Group [which] is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company is still owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family who founded it in 1932." Here is to the family:

Whatever.

The hut is a nice hut. Also a compensation hut, as it seems. 

Best
Thorsten

[morvit]

46 minutes ago, Merlo said:

I had to google what BTS is, but I love that cabin. If they make it kid-friendly, I'm skipping that as well.

It will definitely be similar to the treehouse or medieval blacksmith: bright colours, simplified, as Lego CITY-like as possible. 

Edited February 22, 2022 by morvit

[Robert8]

Cabin is a great choice

 

BTS... well, not for me

[Lyichir]

BTS doesn't really appeal to me, but it's also one that I'd have to judge the final design on its own merits—the proposal is VERY rudimentary leaving a lot of potential room for improvement.

The A-frame cabin is extremely promising, though.

1 hour ago, morvit said:

It will definitely be similar to the treehouse or medieval blacksmith: bright colours, simplified, as Lego CITY-like as possible. 

I wouldn't consider EITHER the treehouse or medieval blacksmith to be particularly "City-like". Creator Expert-like, maybe—but I don't think that's a bad thing, especially since in my opinion both sets were a massive improvement on their original proposals.

I do expect some of the less standard techniques of the cabin to be revised, though, since currently the main image features parts loosely attached at one end to achieve some of the more rustic, uneven look, which will be better off replaced with more easily replicable techniques in an actual consumer-focused set. Some of the updates in fact already do so, replacing those loosely connected parts with more varied colors and a mix of tiles and plates that would be more reasonable to replicate in instructions.

[Lion King]

Hmmm A Frame Cabin? It sounds great for sure! BTS? nah…

it’s real shame that we won’t get Snow White and Seven Dwarves set.

[Merlo]

2 hours ago, morvit said:

It will definitely be similar to the treehouse or medieval blacksmith: bright colours, simplified, as Lego CITY-like as possible. 

Medieval blacksmith still works for me. It's more Lego-like, for sure, but the original had too much detail at places that you know would never be replicated. And the new shaping was also good, albeit in its own way.

Treehouse not so much. The idea didn't have great shaping, but the color work was exquisite. The final product doesn't have either.

Cabin idea is already colorful and it already feels like it has less bricks than the Blacksmith. It probably doesn't need to be turned into something crazy simple and crazy colorful to work.

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Merlo

[CopperTablet]

On 1/16/2022 at 1:15 PM, Robert8 said:

What a day to be alive

LEGO Ideas The LEGO Toilet Achieves 10,000 Supporters

You know, I think this one might actually be a better fit for BlueBrixx.

Anyway, the A-frame cabin is great, let's hope they don't bastardize and ruin the design too much in the process of turning it into an official set like they always do. 

Edited February 22, 2022 by CopperTablet

[Roebuck]

I might get the cabin, depends on how it look. I wonder how many (few) of the animals that make it into the final set

I would never have guessed those two in this round..

[Exetrius]

7 hours ago, morvit said:

It will definitely be similar to the treehouse or medieval blacksmith: bright colours, simplified, as Lego CITY-like as possible. 

Simplified? Do you mean: made to conform to official LEGO building standards? Because I don't see how the tree house or blacksmith are otherwise ‘simplified’. Agreeing with @Lyichir, these are much closer to Creator expert than to City and I see nothing wrong with that. I can understand how a brighter colour scheme could ruin the vibe for fans of less vibrant colour schemes though, and I'd say it is indeed likely that they will throw in at least one bright accent colour. But maybe some colour modding could solve that, we'll have to wait and see.

[MaximillianRebo]

I'm not surprised with the BTS set being selected; it's in the same vein as many of the one off TV sets where the target group is fans of the show rather than fans of Lego. I'm a bit surprised it's showing up as an Ideas set, I guess though this showed TLG the level of fan engagement (ie. profit) such a set would bring.

[Aanchir]

On 1/10/2022 at 1:07 PM, danth said:

Then there's the Forestmen set. Why is it that when an Ideas set gets made, suddenly every set even remotely like it starts getting 10000 votes? Are people just lemmings? Do they want to "vote for a winner"? It's just stupid. But if it's going to happen, I'm glad it's finally working in my favor -- I want that Forestmen set! 

I think there's a number of reasons! For one, when a set based on a theme or category with a lot of fans (e.g. Castle, Pirates, NASA, etc) gets produced, it helps boost interest in the Ideas platform among fans of that category. After all, even fans who had more or less given up on their preferred theme getting produced through LEGO Ideas are happy to be "proven wrong". And fans who hadn't been paying close attention to LEGO Ideas in the first place might become curious enough to see what other projects along those same lines builders have submitted.

Additionally, it goes without saying that satisfied owners of "playsets" like the Medieval Blacksmith, Barracuda Bay, or even the Old Fishing Store are usually eager for the possibility of getting more high-detail sets like that to accompany them! And LEGO Ideas can be ordinary fans' best option for contributing to that outcome. Even if there's no guarantee of that their support will end up getting future sets like that approved for production, it still feels more "proactive" than just hoping and speculating.

In short, any time new sets come out, it gets fans of those sorts of sets pretty hyped. And especially when it's a LEGO Ideas set, a lot of that hype is channeled into revisiting the LEGO Ideas website to support other projects that appeal to those same interests and passions!

On 2/22/2022 at 9:28 AM, Maple said:

Please LEGO fans keep complaining about how there are too many IDEAS each period because clearly it's proven today that there isn't enough.

Cabin is great, it won't look anything like it when LEGO remakes the set. Guess everyone forgot the Blacksmith redo?

I certainly haven't forgotten it. I got it for Christmas, and after a greatly enjoyable building experience it's now sitting on one of my bookshelves. As I see it, LEGO did a beautiful job making refinements to a lot of the building techniques from the original fan-created model while maintaining the all the core structural details and a lot of the key cosmetic details and furnishings that made it such a great project in the first place. Saying it doesn't look anything like the original project is like saying that these two Eldorado Fortress MOCs don't look anything like the original Eldorado Fortress:

In reality, there's no mistaking that the MOC linked above is based closely on the original Eldorado Fortress set, despite using a lot of different colors and building techniques than the set did. Likewise, there's no mistaking that the Medieval Blacksmith set was based closely on the original Medieval Blacksmith project, even if the designer made some architectural and cosmetic changes (e.g. removing gaps in the timbers, adding curved braces between vertical and horizontal timbers, adding quoins, keystones, and voussoirs to the stones on the lower level, and using slightly brighter colors for the doors, timbers, and some of the shingles).

Frankly, if LEGO does as beautiful a job with the A-frame house as they did on previous Ideas buildings like the Medieval Blacksmith or Old Fishing Store, I would probably be thrilled to add it to my collection! After all, even the most gorgeous MOCs often still have room for improvement, particularly since LEGO set designers often have access to parts and colors that weren't available to the original MOCists!

On 2/22/2022 at 6:02 PM, Exetrius said:

Simplified? Do you mean: made to conform to official LEGO building standards? Because I don't see how the tree house or blacksmith are otherwise ‘simplified’. Agreeing with @Lyichir, these are much closer to Creator expert than to City and I see nothing wrong with that. I can understand how a brighter colour scheme could ruin the vibe for fans of less vibrant colour schemes though, and I'd say it is indeed likely that they will throw in at least one bright accent colour. But maybe some colour modding could solve that, we'll have to wait and see.

Honestly, I think the brighter colors were a big improvement for both the Medieval Blacksmith and the Tree House, for the simple reason that most LEGO fans don't display their sets under constant, direct, photo-studio-quality lighting.

Right now I'm glancing over at the Medieval Blacksmith set atop my bookshelf (lit only by the natural light coming in through the windows on the other side of the room). The bright colors do a LOT to boost the contrast and ensure that all the intricate details stand out, even from a distance. And they also help the set as a whole to remain interesting and eye-catching even when it has to share a shelf with other stuff like picture frames, figurines, plushies, and other LEGO sets.

It's just one of several considerations that set designers are under a lot more pressure to consider than MOCists. For the most part, we can set up our lighting exactly how we want it and single out all our MOCs' best angles when we photograph or screenshot them to present to other people (at least within the limits of our photographic or CG rendering know-how). Whereas set designers have to ensure they look good even in "everyday" lighting conditions — whether the light source is natural or artificial, whether it's close to the set or far away, and whether the set is sitting on a low coffee table or perched upon a high shelf.

And yeah, the sorts of colors that LEGO used for the Tree House and Medieval Blacksmith are every bit as "Creator-Expert-ish" as they are "City-ish", especially since they're still dominated by "earth tones" like browns, greens, and greys! I mean, 10247 Ferris Wheel and 10260 Downtown Diner are just as much "for grown-ups" as 10194 Emerald Night or 21310 Old Fishing Store (note that in that case, LEGO actually reduced the brightness of the railings and some of the roof beams compared to the original project).

The idea that simply brightening up certain parts of a model (especially when simultaneously INCREASING the complexity of the build) flips a switch from "for adults" to "for kids" is utterly baffling, and frankly it suggests a very juvenile idea of what maturity or sophistication actually means.
 

In any case, I do imagine the set designer may increase the A-Frame Cabin's contrast in the final set. Whether that means adding brighter colors, darker colors, or both is pretty up in the air. But for those who were bothered by the Tree House's colors, it's worth noting that the A-Frame Cabin is already primarily Medium Nougat and Reddish Brown — close to the final colors of the Tree House set, and far brighter than the colors of the original Treehouse project.

One change I would certainly expect in the final set would be variegated leaf colors on the trees (rather than just one leaf color per tree) and variegated stone colors on the foundation. Also, I expect LEGO's design lab would probably veto having the roof tiles not fully pressed down on both ends unless parts such as SNOT brackets are used to help them retain that "not-quite-flush" angle. As it is, it'd be tricky to communicate those slight imperfections in the building instructions or to ensure the parts don't get pressed down fully by accident while handling the model.

It might also make sense to use a lighter color for the interior floors than for the roof so that it's not drowning in darkness when the roof is closed. Similarly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Dark Brown beams added to the exterior, since that's the portion that would get the most light under normal circumstances, and it would help the individual beams stand out from one another even if LEGO's Design Lab does end up vetoing the slightly askew angles.

If LEGO did decide to add a vivid exterior "accent color" that wasn't in the original model, the most obvious place to add it would be in place of the door or white window frames, which already contrast with the surrounding walls. Sand Green or Olive Green could also definitely be added to the stone foundation to represent moss or lichen, just as LEGO did with the Old Fishing Store's foundation. The unevenly-placed tiles that make up the porch could also be changed into a "cobblestone" texture using quarter-circle or half-circle tiles to create gaps instead of the same technique that's currently used for the pulled-up boards, or use SNOT techniques to create half-plate offsets between some of the stones.

While looking at the pictures of the set, I'm noticing that some of the exterior pics feature textile curtains which aren't present in the interior pics. I feel like the curtains are a detail the designers might like to include in the final model to add some color, although they could potentially opt for brick-built ones instead of textile ones. Another discrepancy is that there is a chimney in the back of the exterior photos which is absent in the interior photos. Again, I think the designers would opt to keep the chimney since it adds some nice detail to the model's silhouette and breaks up the geometric simplicity. But they may add a hinged or removable back wall for it to connect to, or at least extend the chimney itself to the foundation so that it can connect properly to the wood stove.
 

So yeah — while it's a beautiful MOC with lots of gorgeous details, I can see plenty of opportunities for refinements or improvements, some of which I'm sure the builder was aware of when proposing it. I'm excited to see what the set designer turns it into, and I'm sure the original builder will be more than open to collaborating on that and contributing feedback to ensure that any changes remain in line with their creative vision.

[Maple]

Don't get me wrong @Aanchir, I like the Blacksmith, it just looks very different than the Ideas set itself. If it didn't it be a $500 set. I just worry Lego will wreck the trees like they did with the Blacksmith Shop.

[Merlo]

8 hours ago, Aanchir said:

The idea that simply brightening up certain parts of a model (especially when simultaneously INCREASING the complexity of the build) flips a switch from "for adults" to "for kids" is utterly baffling, and frankly it suggests a very juvenile idea of what maturity or sophistication actually means.

This got a chuckle out of me :) I have no idea why people want darker colors, there are probably many reasons. I only know why I want them and that is because I've grown up with Lego, and during all that time and, yes, even now, it was pretty obvious Lego was/is a toy, but I've come to think of it as a world of its own, same as if I'm watching anime or something, I don't spend time thinking how "this is a cartoon and not real" as that brings down the enjoyment and immersion factors.

But this almost never happens... you'd have to make look everything like Peppa Pig for me to think "I can't buy into this world being real" or convert a treehouse into something that looks like it's made out of mud.

The problem with colors is that you just can't throw them around willy-nilly and expect the final product to be aesthetically appealing. Using many colors calls for clean lines, else everything ends up looking like a mess. You can circumvent this easily by going for finer detail or by making less contrasting color transitions so that the colors visually fuse with one another. That way you have a sense something is going on, without it being an eyesore.

Eldorado Fortress and sets like the Wolfpack Tower to an even greater extent are perfect examples of using color to separate different elements where they both compliment each other, accentuating what the others are supposed to represent, and merge into an appealing whole.

Medieval Blacksmith looks great to me. It's only the ghastly printed doors where my suspension of disbelief crumbles, which is easily solved by keeping them open :)

Medieval Castle, on the other hand, not so much. It's not that it doesn't work, that it's bad... it's none of those things. They just went with all the colors, all the details and given the limitation of physical space and brick count, got only a small impact from each thing, instead of aiming for a bigger impact from fewer things.

But let's take A-Frame Cabin... surely that is leaning heavily towards a display set? I can't imagine a playset with that theme being literally any better than the previous sets we got with outdoorsy themes. Yet all we have to do is sit and wait to see how Lego will massacre my boy :)

Edited February 25, 2022 by Merlo
deleting extra space

[adwind]

Hey mates, I guess, it's time to ask for your help to rescue the Rescue Rangers  - one of my Ideas project. 16 days left and just 993 votes to 10k. Any help will be super appreciated! https://ideas.lego.com/projects/c5e0de2d-6837-46fd-82ee-16a1a0d56bc2

[AyeMatey]

Hi all, I recently picked up a bin of used pieces and inside were 11 of the 12 bags to the Saurn V, unopened. Unfortunately, the first bag was missing. Is there a resource to figure out the parts for that particular bag? Potentially a search function in Bricklink? Thanks!

[Yoggington]

2 hours ago, AyeMatey said:

Hi all, I recently picked up a bin of used pieces and inside were 11 of the 12 bags to the Saurn V, unopened. Unfortunately, the first bag was missing. Is there a resource to figure out the parts for that particular bag? Potentially a search function in Bricklink? Thanks!

First stop would be just to ring Lego Customer service. I have heard of people purchasing single bags from sets previously (e.g. all the parts for the middle floor in a modular). As this set is still in print, they may do that for you.

I'd be curious too, if you try this to hear the result. Any time I heard, it's been 'friend of a friend', so I don't know for sure if they will and would like to know.

 

Unfortunately, I don't believe such a function exists in BrickLink. The way to approach would be to download the instructions, and work through the steps for the first bag - constructing yourself a wishlist from the steps (in combination with the 'part out' page of the set). You could then use this wishlist to shop with from one seller or multiples.

Edited April 3, 2022 by Yoggington

[AyeMatey]

18 minutes ago, Yoggington said:

First stop would be just to ring Lego Customer service. I have heard of people purchasing single bags from sets previously (e.g. all the parts for the middle floor in a modular). As this set is still in print, they may do that for you.

I'd be curious too, if you try this to hear the result. Any time I heard, it's been 'friend of a friend', so I don't know for sure if they will and would like to know.

 

Unfortunately, I don't believe such a function exists in BrickLink. The way to approach would be to download the instructions, and work through the steps for the first bag - constructing yourself a wishlist from the steps (in combination with the 'part out' page of the set). You could then use this wishlist to shop with from one seller or multiples.

Great ideas. Thansk very much!

[MontyMatte]

Hello together,

I 'll be thankful If you may help me to highlight an support my contribution on Lego Ideas. It's about the Willow motion picture (1988)
https://ideas.lego.com/projects/2083518f-81ae-404c-8819-8126c5ad7868
Please tell if I can help someone.

(I'm sorry if it's not allowed to share posts like this)

[Zero Helix]

Posted a Yu-Gi-Oh! themed build a while back that I've since improved significantly: 

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/aefab267-ef92-49f1-9a77-0769b51a6abb

[Faefrost]

39 Projects under review for the 1st 2022 Review Period

https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/a4ae09b6-0d4c-4307-9da8-3ee9f3d368d6/post/80b29f94-d8e0-47d8-ab43-f9cec25cc98e

Some really incredible ones this time. I mean there really are no bad ones this quarter. There are no obvious ones that they would never make. This might be the single strongest group we've ever seen hit at once. Just no or very few obvious flaws.

At a glance ones that I think (to my eye at least) have a good chance;

- The Concorde, just the nice sort of aerospace display piece that would go well with the Shuttle. A comfortable $100-$150'ish set for AFOL's.

- Steampunk Airship, Just a nice sort of meeting point between Pirates/Ships/Castle/Fantasy/Adventure. Gorgeous Model at a rational size and scale. Add in a Baron von Baron minifig and it's perfect. 

- Lego Insects, I think this one is a gimme. The only way they don't do this is if they already have plans for something along these lines

- 221 Baker Street. They've avoided doing straight up Modular Buildings for Ideas. But seem okay with Modular Adjacent. This seems a great period piece with a probably accessible license. 

- Adventure Box, basically a classic type Sewing Box. It's gorgeous, distinct, outside the norm, functional and altogether something Lego has never done before. But it works well in Lego form. 

- Hanging Flowers, a really clever execution and a nice piece(s). The only thing that may work against it is the need for something to hang it from. 

- Antique Cash Register, talk about a follow up to the typewriter. Although if they do make it I somehow doubt that we would see that much Metallic Gold. 

- Notting Hill Market, just a gorgeous little slice of city life while not stepping on City or Modulars. 

Longshot stuff Less likely, but you never know?

- Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers, I would almost say this set is a decent possibility. But there is a new movie coming soon, which might make this set unlikely. As there might be an actual normal license issued. Or Disney might want any product geared towards the movie.

- Farm Life, If only City wasn't doing Farm stuff this year

- The Toilet, because Lego is weird. 

Stuff that probably will not make it. Which is remarkably small this go round. These are all A list projects this time. So I may be wrong about these.

- The Original Kit Kat Clock, I think there is some licensing involved with that clock design. Which may preclude it. I may be wrong and the design may be public domain by now?

- Mach Patrol, a perfect execution, of a 1970's Anime vehicle who's show did not see huge distribution or popularity outside of Japan Italy and parts of South America. Plus the shows subject matter might be a little risque by Lego standards. Here's the OP for Daitarn 3 if anyone is curious what this thing is. 

 

Basically it's a Womanizing James Bond Super Spy with a Giant Robot, and his two hot assistants fighting over him. 1978 folks! What a time to be alive!

- The Polar Express, Major license. May be precluded by Lionel's longstanding licensing. 

- Polaroid Onestep, A little too strongly branded. Lego tends to avoid paying for licensing that mainly advertises somebody elses product. (Adidas sneakers aside)

- Air Jordan, While I would never say never, I suspect that their Adidas License likely precludes this. At least in the short term. 

- Lancia Delta Integrale 16V Rally Car, The car is doable. and gorgeous. The stickers/sponsor markings are not. As Hasbro discovered with their more modern Masterpiece Transformers line, they need to separately license each sponsor logo and markings. It can get real annoying real fast. 

Everything else will likely just come down to size of project and if they see a market for it? 

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Faefrost

[Izzynufc-2]

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/e9ac1739-3f85-462d-88eb-2777e81e12a5 What about this for a project, very accurate and looks like the real thing 

[RichardGoring]

49 minutes ago, Faefrost said:

39 Projects under review for the 1st 2022 Review Period

https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/a4ae09b6-0d4c-4307-9da8-3ee9f3d368d6/post/80b29f94-d8e0-47d8-ab43-f9cec25cc98e

Agreed that there are so many great ones this time around. Even more of a shame that they won't get made. 

I've seen a few people make Tales of the Space Age, and could see this being made as it's something cool that fits well on a shelf.

The Aladdin: Friend Like Me set looks great, and is then even better with the movement it offers. Probably won't get made, but it's fabulous and they've not done it. Maybe Disney limits too much new Genie merchandise, or is the row long enough in the past that it's OK?

Steampunk Airship, Living on the Edge, Chip 'N Dale, and Jules Verne's Nautilus are all wonderful, but may all suffer from stability issues and so not translate into elegant sets, which might hold them back.

Oh, and would love either of the forestmen ones, but we know that it won't happen. Sigh.

[Yoggington]

I'm a big fan of the airship, but it seems to have been re-entered with zero modifications.

If it didn't pass the first time through, why would it now?

[TeriXeri]

Insects or Minerals seem to me the most likely of one of them to pass.

Polaroid might be known enough to be chosen as well.

Many other ideas have similar sets or upcoming sets.

• Nike Shoe - Adidas
• Cash register - Typewriter 
• Notting Hill - Friends main street (I know it's from a movie but it's also a london suburb and modular-building esque)
• Sea Serpent - Viking Ship
• Nautilus - 3-in-1 Octopus (I know it's mainly about the submarine and a book by jules verne but still)
• Farm -  City and Minecraft will release barns just now and the other farm idea was rejected as well.

Plants have their own line.

Modulars aren't picked.

A  Winter House is in Bricklink Designer Program

There are 3 steam locomotives in this round which is obviously different from Studgate in the Bricklink program but with a UCS hogwarts express seems unlikely.

Castle stuff seems unlikely with 90th anniversary.

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by TeriXeri

[Toastie]

@TeriXeri, nice analysis.

I'd take also into consideration: Max profit for TLG, based on max fan base (not LEGO related >at all< (Addidas ...) + adults or folks having enough money at their disposal (which depends on country/continent, and product).

Best,
Thorsten