Lord Insanity

Honestly I think they are missing the point completely by not prioritizing power pickups. What is the incentive to buy into the system if you can't actually use it? Power pickups that plug into the current "battery" motors are a minimum requirement to get people that don't already have 9v trains. I hope this sells well enough to get to that point.

Whoops! Train level crossings would be one plate taller that the new road system if they are both on the same surface. That is still way easier to work around (or build up in this case) than the road base plates.

I mean there are currently two space themes still on store shelves around me. (Lego Movie 2 and city space.) On top of that we just had the creator space rover come out. That doesn't even count the actual real world models like the Apollo Moon Lander, International Space Station, and the impending re-release of the Saturn V Rocket. I would love a new classic style or tron-era space theme. Sadly I don't see it happening with so much competition that already fills that niche for most people on store shelves. I think our biggest chance is to have the creator rover sell well enough that Lego tries pushing the sci-fi envelope with the next creator space fantasy set. Really the creator rover does look ten times better just by changing that red stripe to blue.

While I would not want base plates to be completely phased out I do really like this new road system. The current generation of road plates with that stupid printed sewer grate annoy me greatly. Without that sewer grate print you could used them for highways, runways, racetracks, moon bases, and such. Thanks to that print they are basically stuck as an inner city street. This new system could easily solve the highway, runway, and space landing pad issue in a far better way than current base plates would ever allow. Racetracks would depend on whether or not there is decent curve system planned. Too bad the heli-carrier set didn't wait a year and use the new system for its flight deck instead of the grate plates. As far as compatibility with modular buildings, well I don't think road base plates of any sort look good with those. Unless of course you are completely rebuilding the building on to the road plates there by destroying the entire modular aspect and causing things to not line up to the next road intersection anyway. So once you get to the point of realizing you need to do some built up roads anyway, I have been seriously considering rebuilding my buildings on regular plates just to line everything up better. This new system would make that perfectly lined up. Bonus points, this new road system lines up perfectly with train level crossings making the road surface even right across. This system could make for some nice rivers, lakes and beaches too. I honestly hope they go hog wild with this system in all sorts of crazy uses and don't just restrict themselves to mere city streets.

I find it absolutely fascinating that so many Lego fans have no idea what the brick competitors are doing. Mega Construx has had the Alien license for at least a year now. So far it has been primarily figures in their Hero's line but there are also slime filled eggs with 2 Alien figures in various colors. There are plans for a fig scale Alien Queen set for 2021. They also have the Predator license. So even if Lego was interested in making sets for R-rated movies, it won't be Alien or Predator. On the whole early classic space was near future inspired for its time... remember back in the 1970s it was widely believed we would have permanent moon bases by now (2020). It was also commonly assumed that "space planes" would be routinely flying people and cargo to and from said moon bases. Obviously we know in hindsight that the real space shuttle never lived up to that lofty design goal. Today near future space exploration is all about Mars, not the moon. The city space line being focused on shuttles and rovers to Mars is where the current pop-culture belief of where we will be 40 years from now is. The design aesthetic of the current sets are much more realistic but the idealism behind them is still just as optimistic as early classic space was.

I didn't say I wanted a known color scheme I said I wanted a useful color scheme. Space camper van is not the style I wanted. Sure one of the old space color schemes would be awesome but I would be just as happy with the one from Sweet Mayhem's Systarship. Those windows in trans-pink would be so nice. I am amazed at so many space fan's general dismissal of the Systarship. That thing is by far and away the best "rounded" space ship ever. And a purple skinned alien is one of the few places the mini-dolls actually make sense. (They're not the same species as human.) So the current City Space theme is a near future semi-realistic approach to what we think space exploration will be in the next 20 years or so. Basically exactly what early classic space was for its time. The major difference is today the average person (read child) is far more knowledgeable about what is in fact realistic. Why care about how it is branded? Cool space equipment is cool space equipment. Not to mention that new helmet that locks in the oversized visor is a godsend. Those look awesome with the old chrome gold and blue visors. That I agree with. While I don't mind trans-gray, I absolutely despise trans-light blue as a window color. (I love the color for lightning, ice, crystals, etc.) Every time trans-light blue is used as a window it should be any other color. That was my biggest complaint about Rex's stuff from the Lego Movie 2. All those nasty trans-light blue windows should have been trans-neon green or that awesome metallic green they used for his visor. It made the color scheme of Rex's equipment fail spectacularly for me. Unlike the Pop-Up Party Bus (also a spaceship) which had those awesome trans-purple windows. Then they ruined it with the Systar fighter which uses lousy trans-light blue. Futuristic space sets should have colored windows. Period.

Half the things I mentioned are either still available or just coming to market. I agree and I would certainly prefer some new non-licensed sci-fi futuristic sets. I also don't consider The Lego Movie to be a license even though Lego may consider it so internally. I mean we got some seriously cool space sets from both main Lego movies. Lets be real in the last five years we have been spoiled rotten compared to castle fans desire for some non-licensed medieval era (whether historical or fantasy) sets. The just coming to market Creator rover can be massively improved just by replacing that red strip with blue or gray. It's a shame it doesn't use colored windows. Trans-dark blue would be the best matching for its current color scheme but it would have been nice to finally get that main window in trans-yellow. That would have looked real good too. Lets hope the rumored 2021 Creator mech is a real set and has a much more useful color scheme. Far more importantly I hope to get a compatible figure or two. How cool would it be to get that new space mini-fig with other colors for the arms, tank, and helmet in addition to the current white. (Blue and green would work real good with the rest of that figure.) In the absence of actual sets the figures are the most important thing to me. I can always MOC a spaceship, I can't magically make new figure prints.

I'm confused. Lego already made a modern updated Galaxy Explorer. It was called Benny's spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP. It was even in the number sequence of those first classic spaceships. We even got a follow up crew pack for it. Early classic space was clearly a romanticized version of near future Moon exploration. Near future space exploration was covered quite well by the most recent City Space theme. (Albeit far less romanticized.) Late classic space and the "tron" era was clearly more sci-fi futuristic. (That is my favorite Lego Space era) The current Quin Jet says hello. It doesn't take much MODding to make that a sweet spaceship. Seriously dark blue and trans-orange makes a really slick color scheme worthy of modern take on the "tron" era. I would love a new sci-fi futuristic space theme too but Lego is definitely throwing us some massive bones here. I mean look at those awesome trans-yellow windows and windscreens they have been sneaking in sets where they can. We even got a sweet new classic logo-ed torso print in that Space Creator set. I mean really when the last castle theme provided a better parts assortment for spaceships than actual castles, I don't think space fans have much room to complain.

I am glad the new X-Wing and TIE are rumored to be a lower price. Hopefully they are more in scale with the original Lego versions with modern build quality. The Solo TIE being the same size as the First Order TIE is just wrong. The First order TIE is bigger than an Imperial TIE. The original Lego TIE was the perfect size. Brought up to modern design standards I can easily see the new ships being similar size to their original counterparts at the rumored price points. Ironically that would make both fit the scale of the Rogue One Y-Wing better too. Why the (supposed to be) larger fighter was the smaller set in the first place is beyond me. The lack of a consistent sizing for one man fighters is annoying at system scale and downright loathsome at UCS "scale". Why can't they pick a scale for one man fighters and build all the sets of one man fighters to that scale. No no, instead they will set the price point first then build the ship to fit that price point. Maybe we will finally get an X-Wing that is gray again too. Will the designers please watch Empire Strikes Back. X-Wings and Snowspeeders are not white. I remember the original mosaic sets introduced a third gray that was very light making the current gray "medium". My first thought back then was I can't wait for an Imperial Shuttle in that color. Sadly they never put that color (or the modern blueish equivalent) into wider production so we are stuck with "medium" light gray. It is slightly too dark but still way closer to screen accurate for most OT Star Wars ships than white. I dream of a day when I can get a Tantive IV that is not made of snow. Adults grossly underestimate kids, they do in fact notice these things.

The new Diagon Alley is far closer to modular building style than I ever would have expected. I think they kind of boxed themselves into a corner though. While I fully expected to be able to line the shops up I did not expect them to be locked onto four baseplates the way they are. I figured it would be more like the Sanctum Sanctorum Showdown set where you could easily MOD it to a modular if you wanted but it wasn't technically meant for that. I actually think that is part of the problem with the pink monstrosity. By forcing the shops to fit the base plates they made it slightly too wide. That brings us to the color. Ok technically the pink they used is the most accurate color Lego currently makes in their pallet. While that pink matches the hue better, the old sand red matches the saturation better. Sand red would have looked so much better. (It's like Lego constantly using white for X-Wings and Snowspeeders. Technically Lego white is the closest color to the very light gray used in the Star Wars movies but it "looks" wrong and they should use Lego light gray. X-Wings and Snowspeeders are not the same color as snow!) To be fair I do suspect the pink they used will look much better in person than it does on that picture so there is that. On the figures. So we got the Twins for their shop, Olivander, the Ice Cream man, the photographer, the required Harry, and 8 figures that don't matter to the set and could (or already) have easily come in another set. Where are the other 3 shop owners? Where are the (at least 4 or 5) random crazy looking shoppers? I mean I guess that version of Lockhart can be used as a random shopper. See to me in a set like this the builds don't matter. I can easily MOD things. What I can't do is (ahem) "magically" make new shirt prints for characters that would have only ever been made for this set. Overall the set is really good and I probably will get it eventually but I definitely would have preferred a few different design choices to have be made.

Thinking the new Diagon Alley will be similar scale wise to the old set is not even remotely ridiculous. Come on even the giant $400 Hogwarts has an open back and is missing half the castle. Also my account and username predate those trolls by years. I could actually see that layout working really well at the building scale of the original set with open backs. It would even work having Gringotts in the middle and Leaky Cauldron and the Weasley's shop on each end.

I'm confused. Why does anyone expect a $400 Diagon Alley set to be anything other than a remake of the $150 Diagon Alley set but with more shops? I mean we have seen Lego remake D2C sets before. (The Death Star says hello) We even have a perfect comparison in the form of a Harry Potter set, The Burrow. Comparing to the original Diagon Alley set, Gringotts wouldn't be significantly larger than the other buildings. Some of the shops could even be slightly smaller than the original Ollivander's. I think anyone hopping for an "Assembly Square" style set is going to be really disappointed when we get a remake (albeit expanded) of Diagon Alley. If there is still a clear backed metallic print sticker sheet I wouldn't rule out getting Gringotts, The Leaky Cauldron, and Borgin & Burkes included at that scale too.

There are present Space models on Ideas that are simply amazing? Where are they? Sorry but I think Exetrius is right on the money with this. There hasn't been any absolutely stunning Ideas project that transcends the barrier of "already a Space fan and will vote for it anyway." Look at it from a casual perspective and not a die-hard Space fan. Searching "Space Base" on Ideas and Captain Mutant's project doesn't even come up in first batch. Where is the Space Base on Ideas that matches the awesomeness of the Chemical Plant or Train Station Studgate. (Both of which would make better Space Base parts packs that most of the actual space builds on Ideas) Searching "Spaceship" results in the Blacktron Renegade remake and a few Galaxy Explorer style Remakes amid a sea of "junk". Both of which from a corporate paper pusher perspective Lego has already done modern versions of. (See Benny's Spaceship and all The Lego Batman Movie sets) Where are the original Spaceship designs and how will they compete against things Lego currently has on the shelf that fills that demand? (See the current City Space theme and I would argue the Avenger Ultimate Quinjet is basically a modern equivalent classic spaceship.) Don't get me wrong I would absolutely buy several of the current Ideas projects if they managed to hit 10k and get approved. However, I totally see why most of them really have no chance of capturing the attention of the average casual Lego fan that really needs a "Wow factor" to bother voting for something. Hey at least we are getting a new astronaut design with a classic logo in the upcoming Creator set.

I think the misunderstanding here is coming from two mutually exclusive starting points. Some people saw the pirate bay as being a shipwreck island and are very happy with the redesign. Others saw it as the pirate equivalent of the Imperial trading post. So to have the pirate trading post downgraded to a mere shipwreck in roughly the same shape feels like a loss. The shipwreck being able to reassemble into an awesome ship is the saving grace. I am definitely in the latter camp. The main selling point is now the awesome ship that comes with the foundation to the trading post I wanted and voted for in the first place. When the blacksmith shop was recently approved my first thought was: cool, combined with the upcoming pirate bay set I will be able to make a nice port town. Put me down for at least 2 of each. The finished product reveal had my first thought be, what the heck is that? Oh cool ship. Now I really wish I had gotten a second old fishing store even more.

I really hope the creator pirate ship is basically a larger version of the merchant ship from the Imperial Trading post. If we are really lucky the "pirates" that come with it would be generic enough to use as merchants or pirates just like the trading ship. I always thought it was silly that Lego never made a ship like that as a stand alone set in the pirates theme.

Why do people think the existence of Ninjago a Japanese mecha fantasy theme means we wouldn't see a Chinese fantasy theme? That is like saying we wouldn't see a Greek mythology theme because Lego already made Pharaoh's Quest an Egyptian mythology based theme. Personally I think a Chinese fantasy based theme has the potential to be truly epic. I would love getting the Chinese equivalent to "Fantasy Era" Castle. Think of all the awesome historical armor and weapons that could possibly bring.

Those new automotive themed sets are amazing. Its so nice to get some decent city sets that are generic civilians. The race cars are everything I thought speed champions cars should have been. (actual parts for headlights instead of stickers) That services station is great. Good for a small station but thanks to the awesome generic civilian vehicles screams buy 2 and make a bigger station. (usually a set like that would have some highly specialized vehicle that you don't really want multiples of.) The tuning garage is just flat out amazing. Its everything I have always wanted out of such a set. I do find it amusing that the actual garage door has a 10 stud wide opening to be used with the tow truck new speed champions sets.

I used color as rank too. See I was right in Lego's target age range at the very end of Classic Space into Futuron, Blacktron, Space Police, M-Tron, and Ice Planet. (I still think the "tron" era is the golden age of Space.) Classic yellow were the cadets Classic blue and white were the crewmen. (white used for space police once that came out) Classic red and black were the ensigns. (black used for space police) Futuron yellow and Space Police 1 were the lieutenants. (added regular Ice Planet guys as cold specialists) Futuron blue and Space Police 2 were the lieutenant commanders. Futuron black and Space Police 2 chief with no epaulettes were the commanders (added ice planet chief) Futuron red and Space Police 2 chief with epaulettes were the captains. (added ice planet chief with blue epaulettes.) One red Futuron with yellow epaulettes was the Admiral. (switched those to white when Adventurers came out. Yes I am one of the few people that never had a "Dark Age") When I was younger all that strict ranking was really important. I still use that for the commanders, captains, and the admiral but I just sort of added the green and pink figures to the lower ranks without much thought to exactly where they should fit.

I am surprised and quite happy this actually passed Ideas. 123 Sesame Street and Pirate Bay were by far and away my favorites from this round. I didn't expect either to make it and am quite happy both did. That almost makes up for last round's Chemical Plant being rejected. Funny I feel exactly the opposite. Lego is a building toy. That first generation Squidward head was everything a licensed figure should be. Then they made that useless molded head. The Simpsons figures had those useless molded heads when the actual show makers used regular mini-fig heads in their own "Lego" episode. We got to see how awesome the Simpsons figures could have been. See I don't want Lego made licensed figures, I want licensed Lego figures. The entire point of mini-figures to me is the interchangeable parts. Any character that absolutely must have a molded head should be done in the awesome Chima style with a regular printed head underneath. If I can't use different hats, helmets, or hair it is a crappy fig. For characters like Homer Simpson or Grover (or any Muppet) from Sesame Street the lack of those options when the characters routinely use different hats is a complete fail. I also can't figure out why people want this Idea to be down sized. The modular-style scale with all the regular mini-fig head characters is exactly what I wanted and why I voted for this in the first place. 123 Sesame Street exactly as it is would be a day one purchase for me.

Fantasy Era (Castle 2007) and the stylistically compatible Kingdoms (Castle 2010) is my favorite Castle era. I actually use the Kingdoms factions as vassals to the Crown. I just turned the lion royalty into nobles. My classic era lions, dragons and, falcons are the main rival kingdom. Fantasy Era was the last time we got a nice mounted knight with full gear in a "battle pack" style set too. 7009 The Final Joust was by far and away one of the best sets of the line. $8 US for a full gear knight vs a skeleton knight and skeleton horse. I got 9 copies of that set. Switched 8 of the horse helmets to dark blue. Perfect cavalry knight squad. It was a total fail that neither Kingdoms nor Castle 2013 had a similar set. If the big castle sets aren't going to be fully manned anymore like the legendary 6086 Black Knight's Castle at least sell us the "battle packs." Of course at this point I suppose we would be happy with anything.

So why did they put two figs that should be available in a battle pack in a $700 set? I despise unique figures in sets that are not even fig compatible but to place two figures that should be army builders is just insulting. To me that actually lowers the value of the set. I would rather those figs not exist at all than have one each of figs that should be easy to get a dozen of.

Excellent review as always. I am however surprised you didn't place more emphasis on the alternate face for the mummy queen. The gold mask is a far more useful face print. You can use that in city museums and in historical Egyptian builds. That is easily one of if not the best mummy Lego has made. The monkey king has the first 3 long red bar and it comes with an extra. I can finally fix the incorrect brown bar on Ecto-1.

The 3 long bar has finally been made in red. The Minifig series 19 Monkey King comes with an extra one too. We no longer have to suffer a rusted Ecto-1 with that brown bar.

Generally speaking I greatly prefer the Blacktron 1 color scheme over the Blacktron 2 color scheme. To me the best thing about Blacktron 2 was the pods. And boy are those pods awesome. Most Blacktron 2 MOCs completely ignore the pods. This build by so heavily focusing on the best aspect of the whole theme is probably the best Blacktron 2 MOC I have seen so far. This is exactly the kind of large Space build I wish LEGO was releasing as a set right now.

This 1000 times over. Colored canopies and windows are why the Popup Party Bus and General Mayhem's ship were awesome sets and the upcoming Systar fighter thing is lame.