Metanoios

Just to clarify which are the two pieces of information? I only know of one piece: The buildable object rumour based on a list of set names. What other piece is there?

You add some valid points that I do not negate. In fact I mentioned your exact technique with plywood in previous posts. But answer me this question: How do you fasten or fixate the baseplates to the plywood? Do you drill through some of them to use screws? Or are they just resting on the wood? Once you lift or transport the display in a car, how do you make sure that the whole baseplate assembly doesn't slide off the plywood in the case of sudden braking or if a friend, who helps you lift the plywood, suddenly slips and one side angles down? The Art technic plates offer a new mould that allows them be mounted to walls. A slight modification of that brick could be used to fasten these plates to plywood. So in my eyes there is at least one thing that TLG can do to improve your plywood display solution. One point I want to add that was implied in my previous post, but could be clearer. Your 120 baseplates suddenly don't stop existing, once Lego doesn't produce them anymore. You will always have those and noone is forcing you to replace them. The new solution is a supplement to the system not a destruction of the system as a whole. And the comparison to computers and mobile phones is fitting because the argument is about a progressive vs. a conservative mindset (not in a poltical sense, but about how one perceives change, which is an inevitable force both in nature and human culture). The argument is that some (with a conservative mindset) want one solution to be everlasting and overlook it's shortcomings in the favor of a feeling of security and consistency. The other person (progressive) perceives change and iterations as necessary to come ever closer to an ideal solution that can't be envisioned directly. In the case of computers or software these iterations and changes are fast and ever moving and accepted by most, because to write me this message you were most certainly not using a typewriter. Although concepts of the typewriter still endure to this day in the layout of your keyboard. In the case of the lego system we have a huge variety of interconnecting pieces that are used to create anything. The 1x4 brick endures because it still has uses today like the concept of the typewriter in your keyboard. But similar to the typewriter and computers the initial idea and concept of the 1x4 bricks has been expanded by 1000 of new pieces that are all equally useful and complement each other. The evolution of the system continues. A conservative mindset gets easily stuck at one development stage, but with a progressive mindset we reach the variety of solutions we have at our disposal today.

Actually Lego has released around a few hundred updates and variations of that brick over these 60 years already. You know them as the 6249 Brick Modified 2 x 4 with Pins, 3709c LegoBrick, Modified 2 x 4 with Top/Side/End Holes with Solid Studs, 18892 LegoBrick, Modified 2 x 4 with Wheels Holder with 2 x 2 Cutout and Hole, 6232 Brick, Modified 2 x 2 with Pin and Axle Hole, the 1x4 ... (just go wild in the Brick modified section in Bricklink https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?pg=2&catString=7&catType=P ) . Some of those moulds have long been retired, some are still in production. Maybe it helps if you see the new baseplate design (like the 16x16 Art technic plate or the new road plates), just as new moulds that add to the diversity of the overall Lego system. The baseplates were a part, that was used a long time. But as so many other part moulds the baseplate is retired some day (I know that technically it is vaccuum-formed and not a traditional moulded element, but nonetheless it's a lego piece like any other). It might even come back one day. Even the solution after the old baseplate may face the same fate and will also be retired in 10 or 20 years and be replaced. Maybe in the future we can then sharpen our pitchforks together and fight the young rascals on the Holonet 5.7, that dare to question the superiority and usefulness of the Arts technic plate

Question to @danth , @Lord Insanity and all those that still think Lego should stick with the old baseplates: Do you still use Windows 95 or an old Nokia mobile phone by any chance? Because those were the hot shit when they came out in the 90s. The best technical solution ever. Think about that fact: Lego sold the baseplate system to you at least ten times longer than any of the aforementioned systems were even on the market (3 years till Windows 98 and the baseplate is more than 30 years on the market). Things change. New solutions are developed. If people clamored to their flip phones or Win 95 like you do to baseplates we never would have gotten touchscreens or better computers. We would still be stuck with Windows 95 because how could there be anything better than that 800x600 pixel graphical desktop with the first ever taskbar, am I right? Just look at those crisp 480 pixel images. I think it is ok, if Lego slightly alters or updates their product platform, like roadplates or baseplates every 20 years or so. Which is still a remarkable long shelf-life for a product compared with other brands or technical products.

Oh thx didn't know that type of eagle exists, so it is an accurate depiction. Nice! I thought it was initially supposed to be a red-headed vulture like this: But the Bateleur eagle is a closer fit

See for yourself. The HD pics are out. It has a red beak and uses the old eagle mould. I think they are going for a vulture going by the print but it could be something else as well. By the way the elephant has definitely an articulated neck and bend his neck

Great that they are pointless, so it shouldn't be all that bad that we didn't get a pointless Quidditch accessory pack? Also it isn't a law that every HP CMF has to include Luna, Dumbledore and Neville. You are extrapolating from only two data points which means you're conclusion is apriori scientifically flawed. Furthermore Lego and the designers can do whatever they want in the future. And talking about 4 differently coloured variants of the same figure. Lego has done this in the CMF before with Fred and George (two slots for nearly identical twins) and Disney CMF (Chip and Dale and in the same series Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck) which means 5 slots of the Disney CMF series 2 were in fact nearly identical figures just in different colours (7 slots even, if you include Mickey and Minnie which are basically the same colour and moulds with slightly different printing and were just rehashes of the Ideas figures). The Qudditch players I proposed would offer more variance than these. Also Ron would fill one of the big three slots anyway (if we go by your logic that they have to be in there). So it is in fact only 3 figure slots not 4 that would be "wasted" by the Quidditch figures and they would give us unique face prints, leg prints/dual molding and new accessories, that an accessory pack never would. Theoretically the 2nd HP CMF only had 4 new characters that had never been released previously (Lily,James, Kingsley and Myrtle). All the other characters were just costume variants or rereleases. And the 1st CMF had only 7 out of 22 (<= 1/3) new characters (Cedric, Dean, Cho, Grindelwald, Queenie, Jacob and Credence). So only 3 or 4 "interesting" characters out of 12 would line up with the previous CMFs percentage-wise

There aren't that many new characters left to fill a regular series (and they will use some of the remaining character designs for upcoming sets as an incentive). Draco in the first CMF allowed them to introduce the Snitch mould (he was bad precisely for the same reason the other Quidditch players are bad - the plain white legs). Like I said they could do Ron with a new helmet and new broom (minifigs.psd on instagram did a nice version of him, see the link below), Hufflepuff chaser Zacharias Smith with a new face print, new quaffle mould and new dual-moulded broom (different colour), Cho Chang for Ravenclaw and a beater for Slytherin like Crabbe or Goyle (additional new face print) with a new bludger. All 4 would use the new broom mould closer resembling the Nimbus 2000/2001 (theoretically introduced via Cho as her only exclusive new mould, the others have the new moulded accessories) in different colour combinations: reddish brown + gold, silver + black, dark-tan + reddish brown and dark brown + gold Let's say in a hypothetical 3rd CMF they could fill the gaps with these: 1. Madam Pomfrey 2. Werwolf Lupin 3. Chair-Slughorn 4. 2nd task Harry with Grindylow 5. 3rd year Hermione (white shirt) with time-turner mould and new print of the monster-book with a leather belt across the cover 7. Lucius Malfoy Death-Eater mask disguise (with new snake mould for a regular bar end) 8. Marge (blown-up) https://www.instagram.com/p/CONvmm9JmsA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Why not? Obviously a lot of people want Quidditch teams for all 4 houses and are outraged now. It is actually a better inclusion than for example casual Hogsmeade Ron or Kingsley because you would acutally want to buy multiples of that figure and not just one. It is an archetype lke the Roman soldiers in the first few CMF series that are "army builders" and made those series so succesful. Recent cmf series mostly lacked those army builder characters (only the space police, knight and viking come to mind) and it would help the sales of the cmf. Also like I mentioned the figs would be more detailed and would offer likely new a mould along printed and dual-molded legs

The added height actually makes the sidewalks more realistic because most sidewalks in reality are elevated towards the street level. Also if you owned all 15 Modular Buildings you would only have to buy 15x4 + 2 (because of assembly square) = 62 Lego Arts plates. The current price on bricks and pieces is 4,20 € for them and EUR 3.36 (new Bricklink 6 months avg) and used only EUR 2.61. So if you were to update all 15 Modular Buildings you would have to pay between € 160 and 260. Prices would go down even more if they were released in more sets. Most collectors of the Modular Buildings obviously have no trouble spending >$ 150 every year for a Modular Building. So it is actually not that big of a deal to adopt the new system. Also it would be possible to display the old ones alongside the new because I know cities where the pavement elevation changes between street corners and with the new system lego could release an adapter brick to create a smooth transition between the two and include it in the next five modular releases and on bricks and pieces

Honestly I think the best option for the overall look and the quality of the Quidditch players is, if they release them with printed dual-molded legs in a third CMF. Because although the current torsos are nice, they look horrific with plain white legs. The robes end abruptly and even with the cloth cloak it looks weird because the seam of the cloak is already printed on the torso. So if they were to give them the quality cmf treatment they could make them all look really good and give us a new broom, bludger, helmet and quaffle mould as an added bonus (spread across all 4 house players). Just think about it. If you would buy the current mediocre figs en masse in Quidditch accessory packs now and then 1 year later comes the perfect Quidditch Ron in the cmf for example. You would be pissed. They could make it work in an accessory pack, if they returned to the printing style of the 2011 Quidditch torsos which only had the Quidditch team sweater (without the printed cloak), give them each a cloth cloak and the same dual-mouled white and reddish brown leg pieces (with the same boot printing because there would have to be no cloak colour on those legs if they went for that style)

Production has to be almost finished, if the sets still have the June release date, so he has to be out there in some warehouse, quietly biding his time till he snaps^^. But maybe the new Thanos pieces were manufactured in Europe (as they are probably brand new moulds and don't exist in every factory) and are therefore not leaking because they have better control over those production sites

You are actually again proofing his point with your answer. The Taj Mahal uses the old baseplate (6x) + plates and bricks stacking system to create the needed structural support which is tedious to assemble and disassemble (like @Lyichir said). If they had a different system beyond the baseplates back when the Taj Mahal was released, you can be sure that they would have used the Lego Arts plate for it and it would have reduced the piece count by at least 500-750 pieces You need roughly at least 70 bricks and plates to make one 32x32 baseplate even comparably structurally as strong as 4 of the new Arts plates with a few technic friction pins. It takes 20 seconds to assemble the Arts base and more than 5 minutes for the structurally improved baseplate assembly. On the one hand you use 12 pieces (Arts technic) and on the other >70 pieces (baseplate). The new system would be both time and cost efficient, as well as in-system and customisable. So again what is so great about baseplates?

You just repeated my point: "Layer bricks and plates on top and it's good to go". You agree that you need additional bricks and plates to make it strong enough and even usable. Have you actually held the colosseum in hand and know how heavy it is? Baseplates bend at the lightest touch. It adds only minimal additional support in reality. The baseplates are ok for kids to place it on the floor and add a few bricks or minifigs on it, but it offers next to no real structural support for a MOC. And the train builders with huge layouts are using mostly ply wood for their city displays. Some use the MILS system but that actually doesn't really need baseplates. Normal plates or the technic Arts plates would work even better for that because it would make a MILS module completely system-compatible and you could for example build large mountain ranges with support pillars under the modules instead of having the problem that baseplates have no easy way to connect on their underside to other Lego. The baseplates might be cheaper in production, but if you have to use additional bricks or a material like wood to make them actually usable for your city or MOC you have to account for that additional cost in the comparison with for example the Lego Arts technic plate which don't need those extra plates+bricks to offer a strong, interconnectable and expandable base that you can lift off the ground without it bending and pieces falling off left and right.

The current baseplates are flimsy and bend under strain easily. I for one think the new Lego Arts technic plates are a perfect substiute for the lego baseplates (as is demonstrated by the 10276 Colosseum set which uses a lot of them in olive green for the base). If you do large scale (bigger than 32 by 32) or heavy MOCs you realise, that the current "beloved" baseplates have many disadvantages and offer next to no support if you try to move the MOC. You either have to reinforce it with a bricks+plates and technic construction (which is basically like not using the baseplates at all) or use a piece of wood as the actual base (like in many Modular cities). This is exactly why a set like the Colosseum would never have been possible with baseplates, but the new Lego Arts plates made a strong enough support with a minimal use of pieces possible and the system is easily customisable with other technic components (which the baseplates are not). So the love for baseplates is just nostalgic day-dreaming. There will still be enough baseplates on the secondary market for those that prefer bendy, flimsy and out-of-system solutions

Yes the last accessory pack had also only two exclusive parts (Marauder's map and the Ravenclaw torso). Cho Chang's face print came also in the advent calendar

I think it is a reference to Kimba the white lion (the story that inspired Disney's The Lion King, kind of funny that Disney was so lazy that they only changed one letter Kimba -> Simba)

Either that or the Diagon Alley shopping list (which would match size-wise with the Hogwarts letter from the first advent calendar). At closer inspection it is the Dumbledore's army sign up sheet. The third name in the list says "Harry Potter" and the 7th "Luna Lovegood"

There is a production pic of multiple of the new sheep circulating around the 'gram which offers a more close-up and detailed look at the sheep (one pic with the two new male lion colours as well) Maybe we will get that dual moulded sheep in different colour combinations in the next normal cmf (tan and dark tan/white and tan for example or black and dark tan for the face). They could also recolour Bo Peeps staff in medium nougat or reddish brown. The mould for the staff is still in production as it reappeared in the summer city line (although sadly not recoloured)

Edit: you're right. Sorry was looking at the old version of Wuher on Bricklink but it is the one from the new Cantina

Yes it's originally from 2018s Jurassic World 75930 but was reused twice in the DC superheroes line (once for Maxwell Lord and the other time for Bruce Wayne)

New sheep mould (black and white) is coming in the Disney Mickey and Donald farm set. It is just a normal sheep (not cartoonish) and the tan horse from the Blacksmith comes in that set as well

I think the witch is just a generic pedestrian in Diagon Alley. They reused the rare and exclusive (till now) sand green torso from Vicky Vale + Sinitra's hat & hair piece and gave her a new exclusive skirt print, which works also really well with the dark green evil wizard torso from last year's Build-a-Minifig. The guy on the left could be used as Scrimgeour and he has a new face print, although the torso is a reuse from an expensive Jurassic World set as well

Nice variety and cool to get the sand green Vicky Vale torso in such a cheap set. I count 3 (or 4) exclusive prints (the dark green skirt, the face on the left, the shopping list). The face of the woman could be new but I think it might be Petunia's, not sure though. The wizard that could Daedalus Diggle uses Ben Kenobi's head and Ollivander's torso He has Obi-Wan's face print with a beard so he is facially quite different, but yes the torso could have been better

I think that the white lion is supposed to be Kimba (the story that inspired Disney's The Lion King)