astral brick

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Posts posted by astral brick

  2. Posted

    - Collecting minifigures, which has become an obsession for too many customers and also an easy alibi for pricing a set. Even reviewers are giving minifigures an excessive relevance while analyzing a set. Minifigures were born as a nice bonus and they should have stay that way.

    - Moccers should release for free the instructions that are no longer sold for some reasons (improved versions of the moc, parts no more available or too rare, minor flaws). I think the whole community could benefit from these acts of generosity, not to mention designers' reputation.

    - Plant-based parts, too many concerns about durability and, in a certain way, heritability, both elements that have always been among the strongest Lego pros. Ecology claims are a fig leaf to justify the fact that the consequence of lower durability is to discard old parts in order to buy new ones, finally leading to a profits' increase. Let's not demonize plastic itself but the incorrect use of it (especially its disposal). 

     

     

  5. Posted

    15 hours ago, danth said:

    I agree; I have two of these on preorder and will probably get more. And further to your point...I don't see what Lego can really do now to follow this.

    A Galaxy Commander remake? Or some other flagship model from Blacktron, Space Police etc? The possibilities are endless.

    15 hours ago, danth said:

    This is the ultimate Classic Space set. And what does ultimate mean, literally? It means last. This feels like a send off. Like, "We love you Classic Space. And always will. Goodbye!"

    I wouldn't be so pessimistic, companies' policies are based on sales, every choice and its opposite are on the table, always.

    15 hours ago, danth said:

    And honestly, I don't think I'm going to need more blue, grey, and trans yellow sets after this.

    Resistance is futile :-)

    Jokes aside I understand your point of view but think of film market, nowadays an infinite series of sequels, prequels, requels of the same franchises. Are they running out of inew deas or afraid of them? Perhaps, however, depending on the skills of the producers, writers and directors, we are watching new movies instead of the same ones repeated over and over. The goal is to lure old customers and new ones, the latter ones are going to enjoying the reboots because for them is new material, the original viewers are having a revival moment of something they appreciated in the past, when they were younger. A win-win case for film companies. The concept is valid in many other markets and that's why it is so successful. 

    15 hours ago, danth said:

    I don't want to be trapped in the '70s.

    Or the 80s or the 90s... please see previous point.

    15 hours ago, danth said:

    But what I want more than anything, is a new Space theme with new colors. Maybe something with trans purple, or trans light green, or trans pink even.

    Huge investment so give it time, it the classics work then they may consider it.

    15 hours ago, danth said:

    Yeah. I love Classic Space as much as anyone, and I didn't build a 497 MOC. I'm working on Space MOCs but never had a desire to build a better 497. Besides, Peter Reid knocked that one out of the park, I can just look at his. :)

    I still hope he is going to release the instructions eventually. In the meantime I think I am going to build a Galaxy Explorer moc from another designer who sells the instructions, I want to have both the moc and the 10497 on display. Actually I wonder if buying two official sets could be useful for saving some money on moc's parts.

    OT I wonder if sooner or later someone could create the instructions for a proper (modern) version of a transformable Macross Valkyrie (or at least Starscream). 

     

  7. Posted

    On 2/9/2022 at 6:30 PM, danth said:
    1) "Space is an outdated theme that should be relegated to the past."
    2) "Space fans suck and just trash all the space themes that come out anyway so they should get nothing."
    3) "This non-Space theme came out. This is what you want. You should want it. Why don't you want it? It's Space."
    As a Space fan, I get to decide what I consider Space to be. I get to decide what I want in a Space set. I don't care what you think I should want.

    Your post deserves to be pinned in the Space sub-forum.

    "Capiche?" is out of line, hopefully you are going to edit it.

  10. Posted

    23 hours ago, danth said:

    A bigger profit margin per set doesn't matter when you can more than make up for it with volume. Basic economics. Also we don't know what the profit margins are. Production costs per set goes down as volume goes up. So even after licensing fees, licensed sets could have the same or higher profit margins.

    In fact I begin to think that licensed sets have better profit margins. In the equation let's not forget the costs of designing from scratch new models, not to mention a new theme. Then there are the marketing costs. Copying Star Wars ships and selling them to the fanbase, with the help of constant releases of new movies, tv series or cartoons, it's easier, faster and cheaper than refreshing the Space theme, hoping that there will be enough customers willing to open their wallets. Same reasoning in relation to Harry Potter, Marvel/Dc superheroes, Technic cars and bikes.  

    23 hours ago, danth said:

    Exactly -- non-licensed sets are only a fallback plan for when they can't slap a license on something.

    Sad but true.

  12. Posted

    39 minutes ago, o0ger said:

    No, you are right. But what more specifically is it you want? Right now there are many new Star Wars sets and there are also Marvel Eternals sets that I would consider Sci-Fi. Monkie Kid also has some really cool Sci-Fi themed sets. 

    OT both in relation to the post and the sub-forum.

  14. Posted

    19 hours ago, Horlack Bricks said:

    It's like modular. A modular has never been accepted. NEVER ! The theme is still edited. So we laugh at these votes, they are useless. You vote for nothing in these ideas. And the creators post for nothing, because the result is already known.

    I generally vote for the modulars I like even if I am not interested in the theme. I am doing it because I want to reward the time and effort of the designers and the fact that they never give up.

    I am rewarding technique, aestethic and perseverance by helping what I consider a good Idea to reach the final stage of the review. I couldn't care less if a modular -  or whatever model from other themes - has few or zero chances to be chosen at the end, actually knowing that make me want to support these projects even more.  

  15. Posted

    23 hours ago, DelQuinn said:

    I agree with you 100%

    I try to support sci-fi ideas when I see them, especially Classic Space themed ones. It breaks my heart when I find a project that won't make it.

    You are not the only one, thank you for your answer. I hope that you will receive the support that you deserve.

    6 hours ago, MAB said:

    Why would someone that doesn't like sci-fi promote sci-fi models?

    Because I think afols should support well done models even if they are not interested in the themes to which they belong.

  16. Posted

    22 hours ago, Aanchir said:

    ... And I don't think anybody here is naive enough to think that LEGO would serve the public interest without considering how it benefits their own interests as a company (whether via improvements in their profits, sustainability, PR, or other metrics).

    Considering what I generally read in this forum, I wouldn't be so sure about that.

    22 hours ago, Aanchir said:

    But I still see no reason to scoff at this sort of news.

    For the same reason why many people are criticizing Apple selling expensive phones without a charger and justifying its absence with environmental protection purposes. 

    22 hours ago, Aanchir said:

    But that doesn't mean that LEGO investing in these sorts of efforts is a bad thing for the rest of us! Particularly when many of us have had firsthand experience with these sorts of biases, including in ways that have hampered or tarnished our experiences as LEGO fans.

    Thank you for the first answer in this thread not being ot, you made your point arguing your political stance.   

  17. Posted

    I am glad that you are sharing your project here, and even more glad that it is advertised on the front page. I thought of your model when I wrote my previous "call to action" post in this sub-forum, the other Ideas I was referring to are a space base and a Macross' Valkyrie. Let's hope that the members of this community or the lurkers active on social media could help you even more. I believe that promoting each other's Ideas should become a standard among sci-fi designers.  

  18. Posted

    On 10/30/2021 at 9:35 PM, koalayummies said:

     instead of that open-ended 9-word grab-some-popcorn-and-debate original post.

    Excuse me? The thread is about the pros and cons of privatization claiming to serve the public interest. Pretty clear - even starting from the tags - and made even more clear in another message that you didn't bother to read. Then it is up to people to discuss about Lego sets instead of politics.

    On 10/30/2021 at 9:35 PM, koalayummies said:

    Pretty simple.

    Not really.

  19. Posted

    Once again some great sci-fi Ideas - licensed theme and space ones - are failing, some of them not even reaching 1.000 supporters or barely surpassing that amount. I am not sure if I can link the pages, you can check by yourselves if you care about it. I am sick of analyzing the reasons or philosophically debating about it or noticing that Lego never advertise these projects among the staff picks.

    No more words, designers have done their part, now it's time for us to act.

    I turn to afols having facebook or flickr or blogs or youtube channels, whether you like sci-fi or not, we are talking of beautiful Lego models that deserve not only your support but your active help to be properly promoted in order to reach 10.000 supporters. Then let's see what happens, with the knowledge that a final review with Ideas imagining the future is a benefit for the whole afols' community. 

    The time of crocodile tears is over, if we want sci-fi Ideas to stand a chance, everyone has to do their share!     

  24. Posted

    11 hours ago, timemail said:

    That is a large market segment that is being missed by Lego as parents are not recommending it for their daughters and likely not buying it for them. By "overcoming gender bias" they are potentially increasing their profits significantly. Is the motivation from Lego to remove gender bias or to increase profits?

    Exactly. Their intent is both to increase profits - aiming at female customers - and to improve brand image. However, not only it is undeniable that promoting gender equality is admirable but the fact that an important company is involved can be very helpful to the cause.    

    Therefore there is a moral dilemma: can a private company promote social politics without giving the impression of only caring about business? Do we need to ignore the facts for the sake of a greater good? Isn't it a primary government task to support affirmative actions? What if a company steps in achieving better results thanks to better resources?
     
    The answers reside in personal political beliefs.