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Lyichir

Eurobricks Grand Dukes
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  1. Lyichir
    Wow, good information! Thanks for clearing that up!
  2. Lyichir
    Wow! I love the colors and the level of detail (complex enough to avoid any part looking boring while simple enough to still look clean and refined). Does it have any sort of interior (furnishings/stairs/etc.)?
  3. Lyichir
    The problem with this logic (which I’ve seen in many arguments in the past) is that it assumes “making a castle theme that works” is or should be a higher priority than “making any theme that works”. Lego does look at which aspects of themes have been successful and which have not, but that’s not necessarily going to lead them to a specific kind of castle theme AFOLs prefer. Nexo Knights, after all, was very much a combination of traditional castle motifs with aspects of mega-hits like Ninjago and an experimental app integration model. Elves blended the feminine appeal of Friends with medieval fantasy like that in many castle themes (including fantasy castle and Lord of the Rings) and elemental powers like in Ninjago or Bionicle. These deviations from tradition may not have endeared these themes to all fans of traditional castle, but they were where analysis of past success led and for the most part, that approach paid off by outperforming more traditional takes on the castle theme.
  4. Lyichir
    The overall shape seems to be a lotus blossom-like shape, not entirely unlike the emblem from the original Sensei Wu figure's torso. The lotus blossom is a prevalent symbol in multiple Asian cultures in the real world, including multiple religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism). In this case, the six petals likely symbolize the six ninja on his team. The design may also be meant to echo the imagery associated with Spinjitzu. If you look closely at the center of the symbol on each torso, you'll notice that the pattern in the center circle of the emblem differs between each character.
  5. Lyichir
    The New Elementary review of the Joker Manor confirms how clips can be attached to the rails: http://www.newelementary.com/2017/11/70922-joker-manor.html
  6. Lyichir
    It varies a lot. Especially with “two-floor” modulars like the Brick Bank and Fire Brigade.
  7. Lyichir
    I would've loved to see sets like this for G2, especially if they used more articulated sorts of figures like the Hero-figs from Invasion From Below. One drawback of Bionicle's and focus on large-scale action figures is that the rich settings created for the characters to inhabit usually have gone completely unrepresented in the toys themselves, with the exception of that brief run of playsets from 2005 to 2007. Unfortunately, it wasn't really in the cards for G2—not when the constraction figures themselves struggled to find an audience. And I don't really see a Bionicle revival based solely around System sets (without a constraction component), either. Invasion From Below probably wouldn't have impressed me nearly as much if not for converting established characters into minifigure form, and knowing the Bionicle fandom at large they'd probably react even more negatively to a primarily System-based revival than they did to a CCBS one. At best, perhaps a theme like Knights Kingdom II with fewer Constraction sets (mainly focused on the main heroes and a handful of villains) and more scaled down System playsets would work better... but I wouldn't put money on that happening.
  8. Lyichir
    I mean, I agree that a Brickset link with nothing in it is hardly evidence of anything, but you could maybe try being less of a jerk to the other members here? I'm as tired of Bionicle discussion that revolves primarily around how/when/if Bionicle will be brought back as anyone, but even I care a heck of a lot more about that than what the trolls and edgelords on sites like 4chan have to say about the community here behind our backs.
  9. Lyichir
    "Only the best is good enough" does not and has never meant "everything has to be new and satisfy one particular person's very specific interests". The whole point of the CCBS was to have a standard modularized system for Constraction like for classic Technic and System parts, so that they didn't have to reinvent the wheel every other year. And despite your complaints about Star Wars CCBS, both it and the Bionicle reboot did push Constraction forward by making builds more complex, fleshed out, and functional both through the introduction of new parts (like the gearbox, gearbox cover, and various other parts) and the integration of more standard Technic parts, all without returning to the era of hyperspecialized legs and torsos. I would love to see Constraction see a resurgence as much as anyone, but not by throwing out the best system we've had for it just for novelty's sake. Also not even sure why you brought up Exo-Force, to be honest. There are plenty of sets that follow in that theme's legacy in themes like Ninjago and Nexo Knights that integrate Technic, System, and CCBS for mechs and vehicles.
  10. Lyichir
    I have not seen the fig yet. But didn't the Goblins accept Cronan as a legitimate leader (no brainwashing required) after he'd reformed? That's the impression I remember getting from the end of Secrets of Elvendale... And while a new, less evil costume for him would be neat, his "undercover" costume was a lot more drab than most of the costumes in the Elves theme even for minor characters like Johnny Baker—only really fit for somebody seeking to disguise their origins, not for a king or the heir to one of the five legendary sisters.
  11. Lyichir
    Actually, transparent Lego parts are made from Polycarbonate, which looks similar to acrylic but is more resistant to heat and breakage.
  12. Lyichir
    I hope for the opposite? As much as my wallet will regret it, the Spinjitzu/Airjitzu fig designs were both incredibly memorable and unique and I'd hate for them to stop doing those sorts of variants just because it made collecting them more of a challenge. And while the disconnect between the toys and the show can be a pain, I sort of wish many of those unused costumes HAD actually been used in the show, rather than get cut from sets (since the show opted for somewhat mediocre special effects for things like the ninja's true potential or Airjitzu instead of the fantastic NRG or Airjitzu fig designs).
  13. Lyichir
    I first started to notice how her outfit was “maturing” last year—the exposed straps and leggings helped to make her look older, particularly in contrast to Sophie’s overalls (which also echoed some of Emily’s outfits to reinforce the sibling dynamic). The new outfit definitely continues to work in that direction, while also seeming a bit more shielded from the elements like the other characters with their new armor.
  14. Lyichir
    I'm hopeful, but not necessarily expecting it. At this point with the evidence we have so far it could really go either way—with fewer sets and an epic light-vs.-dark storyline this year, it almost feels like it's building toward a conclusion, but then I remember Ninjago doing similarly and getting extended so it's hard to say one way or the other.
  15. Lyichir
    It's not just about "growing up fine". I was not offended by them, but I was also a white American kid playing with figures that (poorly) represented cultures that were entirely foreign to me. My brother even dressed up as King Kahuka for Halloween (I was an Imperial Guard)—the costumes were well-made and all, but looking back, a nerdy white kid dressing up as a minifigure with a grass skirt, tribal mask, and tooth necklace is a pretty bad look as far as cultural sensitivity is concerned. Then you get into what markets or demographics ARE likely to view something like that as offensive, and realize that even if Lego were to release the sets in spite of them having legitimate complaints about the content (which again, is not something that they ought to do given their company values), they would effectively be ruling those groups out as likely purchasers. As a global company, that isn't exactly the smartest move. The islanders weren't specifically referencing any one culture, that much is true. However, that doesn't really make them any less of a stereotype—in fact, that inaccurate sort of mishmash is pretty typical of the sort of broad-strokes stereotypes of island cultures that tended to pop up as natives, "savages," or even "headhunters" in many traditional pirate stories. These sorts of gross inaccuracies to any real-world culture are not a savvy move to avoid misrepresenting real-world cultures, but rather a broader misreprentation of multiple, distinct cultures from the perspective of historical colonial powers.
  16. Lyichir
    I don't like this kind of stereotyping of people who care about political correctness (which is itself a pretty loaded term for the simple, uncontroversial concept of actually caring about other people). I loved the Islanders theme growing up yet I absolutely accept and understand the idea that in hindsight, it relied largely on a set of dated stereotypes of underrepresented cultures and as such probably shouldn't be revisited. People who loved that theme can still enjoy the sets that came out back then and play with them how they choose, but there's so many other ideas that can be explored by Lego without offending entire people groups—nostalgia is a pretty poor excuse for revisiting concepts that can now be recognized for how problematic they are.
  17. Lyichir
    What exactly is your basis for assuming those themes won't perform well (other than "me no likey")? It's ridiculous to look at three whole themes that haven't even come out yet and assume that they're a mistake, especially when at least one of them has a pretty strong precedent in its favor (with the previous Jurassic World sets being surprisingly popular). And as for Unikitty and Powerpuff Girls... no telling how those will perform, but based on the success of Friends I'd say male AFOL skepticism toward anything colorful and girly has little bearing on how successful a theme actually will be. Lego is definitely going to be facing challenges in the current toy market, same as any other manufacturers. But they have a lot going in their favor. The loss of Toys R Us will hit hard but not as hard as it hits their biggest competitors, who had even more invested in that sinking ship. Two of their biggest themes, Ninjago and Friends, have just gotten a sort of refresh that will hopefully put some new wind in their sails and keep them going for many more years. High-profile licensed themes like Star Wars, Disney, and Super Heroes are also still performing admirably. All in all the situation is nowhere near as dire as it was in 2003, when they had hardly any successful themes and they were making boneheaded decisions like eliminating popular themes like Duplo and Technic. And I really don't see how anyone could perceive things as going in that direction unless they had a monumentally poor understanding of what led Lego down that road the first time and how they learned from those mistakes.
  18. Lyichir
    While a mini-doll space theme could be cool, I'd be almost more interested in something that covers a different sort of sci-fi. Perhaps a theme set in some sort of "digital" world akin to franchises like Tron, Reboot, or Megaman NT Warrior could be a good fit for that sort of theme? I've also thought that something like Exo-Force could be a great subject for a mini-doll line—not only are mini-dolls already more anime-esque than classic minifigs, but it'd neatly sidestep the limitations in their articulation by putting them in poseable mechs.
  19. Lyichir
    I just used a 2x2 plate (or maybe two 1x2 plates?) near the edge, IIRC. It's a little tricky but if you can apply force at the right angle you can get it loose.
  20. Lyichir
    I can confirm that it is; I've removed it from the Ninjago pods. It's a little tricky to get out since there's no way of pushing from the back, but with the right leverage it comes out and doesn't have glue or anything to secure it besides a snap similar to those on 4x4 turntable plates (and some nubs that prevent it from rotating). I'm glad somebody asked because this could be useful information. I believe some of the latest Friends pods feature 6x6 plates in colors they haven't otherwise appeared in.
  21. Lyichir
    Benny's Spaceship was also more or less a one-off—a single Classic Space-inspired set, tied to a highly popular movie theme, probably had a better business case than a full range of Classic Space sets would have. The context of its appearance in the movie also helped sell the nostalgia appeal of the set even for kids and others who didn't personally live through or experience the original Classic Space theme—myself arguably included, though I at least had been exposed to Classic Space secondhand through the AFOL community, which is more than you could probably say for most kids. Based on its popularity, I fully expect to see at least one similar set for The Lego Movie Sequel next year...
  22. Lyichir
    Unfortunately, some of the areas that were cut were ones that focused on the AFOL community. Both Kevin Hinkle and Paul Striefler from the community team here in North America lost their jobs as part of the cuts (Paul, at least, was rehired for another job in the company). I don't fault Lego for adapting to the downturn, but it sucks that even long-serving employees who were some of the greatest ambassadors of goodwill for the company got caught up in it...
  23. Lyichir
    To be honest this is sort of what I was recently thinking a franchise based around Metalbeard could be like. He already juxtaposes pirates with steampunk—imagine if he were part of some sort of pirate council made up of all sorts of other wacky pirate captains. One advantage of this sort of theme, I feel, would be that it might be able to more easily justify a larger number of ships at a range of scales (compared to recent pirate themes that only really have one or two ship sets).
  24. Lyichir
    As much as I loved Islanders growing up, I don't know how willing Lego would be to revisit it. The kid-friendly nature of the Pirates theme is maintained largely by keeping the story largely a sort of order-vs-chaos abstraction, and bringing in Islanders risks inaccurate representation of actual cultures (there's very little accuracy or specificity to the classic Islanders, who are composed of a mish-mash of cultural stereotypes with their tiki-like masks, Olmec-esque stone sculptures, zebra-skin drums and cow bone accessories), and/or TOO much accuracy (the unpleasant truths of colonialism in the age of exploration are not necessarily well-suited to a kids toy). For what it's worth, licensed themes like Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones aren't much better about cultural sensitivity, but there at least Lego not being in charge of the story gives them a veil of plausible deniability with which to defend against charges of racism.
  25. Lyichir
    I love the color variation in the waterways! It reminds me of the pixelated water in certain 16-bit JRPGs like Golden Sun. I've been wanting to try MOCing a mermaid kingdom for Lego Elves, and the use of color in this MOC may well prove inspirational.
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