TeriXeri

True, if I really wanted this (I don't), I'd probably get another 3-in-1 Castle as at least around here, that never got any significant discounts outside of LEGO.com. That said I've become a lot more selective toward GWP.

Limiting this to certain themes is quite weird when you consider most of the new sets for Creator 3-in-1 and Classic release in March for 2023, so aren't even available yet.

Maybe the really old brick boxes, but none of the boxes since the reboot of the Classic theme in 2015 really comes even close to the (still somewhat overpriced) Minecraft Crafting Boxes. You actually get very few 2x2 bricks , and then the colors don't match at all. Only exceptions have been very recently 11022: Space Mission (June 2022) , 11030: Lots of Bricks (March 2023) have a much larger focus on 2x2 and 2x4 of the same colors in a box .

Nice use of that new quarter dome as windshield. The windshield shape also makes me think of the eyes of a dragonfly , something that could be interesting for Insectoids (in trans-green or trans-neon yellow)

Makine a combination of a 60383: Electric Sports Car + 60312: Police Car could be fun.

Looked through the instructions of 60371: Emergency Vehicles HQ and noticed you can attach modules to the sides of the vehicles. Uses this 2022 new piece on both sides of the 3 vehicles. Pretty cool concept, to have different options : Speed Camera Container to transport items Water shooter x2 (left and right) Some medical device + a syringe and hand bandage/cast. Search Light. And with the Garage set also using a similar clip system, inspiring kids to build their own modules or vehicle sections is a good thing. (2022 Missions sets also promoted self-building but that still needs the app for instructions/story) I can imagine things like a fire hose, handcuff holder, chain+hook, or maybe a net launcher could easily be made as it's just clipped on to expand play with other pieces.

It's still available and made so it's probably not retiring for at least 1 year, 60239: Police Patrol Car lasted 3 full years 2019-2021

I prefer villains to get hideouts and bases to defend, rather then vehicle vs vehicle combat. That's why I loved the Skull Dungeons so much, where the focus was on location most of all. Of course there have been other examples as well like Lighthouse Siege, Ice Emperor Castle and Crystal King Temple, or Prime Empire Temple, where it's mainly focused on ninjas having to travel up/in the structure to reach something or someone, rather then just barge in with a giant mech, jet or dragon (which are still sold seperately and I think is the best way to balance) I don't like when a set budget is split between a big hero vehicle and then some structure, especially if it's the only or one of the few location sets of that year.

Seems fairly likely to appear in the next 1-2 years, if that 4+ Vet Van is an indication. A single vehicle being a precursor to a set or theme has happened like 10 times in City in the past years, not saying it's 100% guaranteed but it seems very possible, especially with City and Friends having more overlap in subthemes. Diving Yacht , Snow Groomer, Tractor, Safari Jeep, Stunt Team, Beach rescue ATV and others all had sets or subthemes related to it appear about 1 year after it in recent times.

Those crystal king vengestone minifig heads could maybe be made in other colors to be some form of dragon villains. (not the first time we get recolors, like snake heads were used for fire, aquatic and orange snakes) Much like the skull sorcerer season but with a different setting, low tech, creatures, and focus on terrain with sets that could connect to eachother, doesn't have to be a game-board. Ninjas could maybe be Pirate themed themselves, and the environment instead of rocks over lava like skull dungeon, would be Pirate Islands over Water with maybe a dragon mountain main big island set, and another big set being the main dragon villain. The Island (2019) had the ninjas use catamarans used in a bit of Islanders style, but with a focus on Ninjas being more inspired by the Pirates theme, could maybe use a "Pirate Ship" as their main hero set, a variant of a Bounty, but much closer to Pirates in styling.

I got the 2022 41719: Mobile Fashion Boutique recently, found it in a store, I rarely buy LEGO in stores (most toy shops disappeared), but I look forward to that bubble tea cart to go with it. Bubble Tea shop also reminds me a lot of 40488: Coffee Cart GWP from 2 years back Those smaller friends sets are really good, even the last year 41705: Heartlake City Pizzeria I still might get and then convert it into a building as I don't have previous pizzerias (only a City Pizza Van) , and not planning to get the Jazz club or City 2020 Town Centre. Even 41723: Donut Shop looks like a cool set, it has some big 4+ pieces to build things easily, but the piece selection looks good overall, printed donuts/sign (I don't have police station modular), bird, green scooter, orange juice etc. Because those sets are smaller, they make great starters to build out from and make custom shops. There was a big City Toy/Donut shop set in 2019 but I never got it as it wasn't really that focused on the building itself, came with lots of side vehicles etc (and a year after that a 3-in-1 toy shop appeared) I'd probably modify 31077: Modular Sweet Surprises into a larger bakery/donut shop (replacing the pie/croissants Sign with the donut print dish is easy enough) I plan to get that for the colors for sure, and there are some arcade machines in the 3-in-1 noodle shop, or the 2023 Friends Diner, that could certainly fit there too.

I think the dark blue looks a LOT better, it makes the sign "glow" a lot more visually. (and I'm not just saying that because I like Dark blue + orange from nexo a lot )

Personally I see the new set as a successor to 31069: Modular Family Villa, at a similar size and price point, build wise the new set is vastly superior. But I still liked the attempt what LEGO tried with those 2017-2018 "modular" builds, combining sections and switching windows and doors from multiple of those sets was quite fun (I had 1 of each), just has quite a big downside in style and sturdyness. But I'm glad LEGO changed back to their "townhouse/shop with sidewalk" style in 2019-2022, almost similar to the style used in 2014-2017, and easily adapted to such.

I think this orc color matches a lot better with warcraft/warhammer orcs, something LEGO would Never make.

LEGO does currently sell 1 product with trans-neon orange dish parts (which are also on pick-a-brick) Serious Play Identity and Landscape Kit {2022 Version} https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/identity-and-landscape-kit-2000430 https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=2000430-2 But that currently looks to be the only neon orange piece known that's possibly produced/sold, and could very well be old acrylic parts. At least no solid evidence that LEGO has made new trans neon orange ABS parts yet. (until some LEGO scientist buys a $789.99 landscape kit)

Yeah the Europe / America pricing has been weird for a long time now, with pricing going both ways.

I think that truck is pretty cool, the rounded front especially is somewhat different, a bit like the more modern land rover discovery. Meanwhile the truck from the 60371: Emergency Vehicles HQ is more like a Land Rover Defender. I'm not trying to compare City vehicles to the real-licensed Speed Champions or anything, I just think it's interesting to see similarities between real world vehicle models and paint color schemes vs City. Even while Police, Fire, and Medical vehicles are nothing new, basicly the staple of LEGO City and Town before that, it's still nice to see what designers come up with, with newer pieces allowing different headlight variations, which will likely even increase over the years as LEGO introduces new parts or transparent variants of existing parts. Even with Speed Champions moving to 8 wides, it's nice to see City and Friends vehicles are also still evolving.

Yeah since currently it's 4 room sets with 2 figs each, wouldn't surprise me to see the 4 other rooms later, instead of releasing 8 rooms at once. 2018 had 5 bedroom sets but of course the team was just 5 characters, but those sets were also much smaller, even the Deluxe versions. Regardless, will be a while before we see each Friend get their own house, even if they release 2 at once going the 4+ route. Especially since it'll take a while for those houses, would love to see other Room sets appear after the other 4 Bedroom sets, like a kitchen/living room combination (which I'd rather see instead of Cubes or Heart Boxes tbh)

A bit off topic but since ice planet is mentioned again: It's certainly strange for LEGO to release minifigs with Ice planet logo's and yet possibly have "retired" transparent neon orange at the same year of 2022 (at least in "normal" sets) Of course with LEGO changing their plastics on transparent colors, and even then still adjusting colors within colors , fine tuning the material, maybe LEGO is just working on the color to get it right first before mass production again. (there still was a bit variation on just trans-light blue in recent years City windows, some being darker blue, and some being cloudy, but others being clear) 1 year doesn't say a whole lot, color use varies per year, in particular for this color Nexo Knight, Ninjago Prime Empire and Monkie Kid Bulls were recent themes with a lot of this color. The main indictator that seems to point that transparent neon orange isn't gone, is the 2022 release of Serious Play Identity and Landscape Kit {2022 Version} 2000430-2 which is currently available for purchase at least on US Lego.com (temp out of stock in europe) , which has 16 of this trans neon orange dish , which is also on pick-a-brick 1 Piece isn't a whole lot to hang by, and that serious play kit has brought back other pieces like the brown horse as well, which hasn't been in a normal set in years, but it's still better then completely nothing I suppose.

Will be interesting to compare the Houses and more Downtown sets from 2023 City, Creator and Friends, as each theme gets at least one House set , and then both a rumored downtown City and 3-in-1 set , beside the already known downtown Friends set. Friends 41730: Autumn's House (853 pc) 41732: Downtown Flower and Design Stores (2010 pc) Creator 3-in-1 31139: Cozy House (808 pc) ??? Summer rumours 31141 - Main Street (1459 pc) City 60365 - {? Apartment Building ?} (688 pc) 60380 - {? Urban Centre ?} (2010 pc) 60398 - {? Family House & Electric Car ?} (462 pc)

At least those spinner sets have 2-3x the piece count compared to the drasticly simple 2022 spinners, 2019 really had some great builds with cool pieces. 2019 did have the standard legacy figures as the biggest difference to other spinner sets, and 2022 spinners uses bigger/unique enclosed molds and figures, so it all depends where priority goes I suppose. Of course piece count alone doesn't say much, but 56-72 is more promising then a meager 25 pieces.

It could be, but it might as well have a large terrain / shipwreck build (more likely then a Base since the 2015 and 2020 were particularly named Ocean "Base" sets, and even then the 2015 base was again split with a large seaplane) 2015 "Ocean Exploration Vessel" set had this quite large shipwreck.

That underwater exploration "ship" is probably similar size to the Diving Yacht of a few years ago (or the 2023 fire boat), which was a €20 set, but with some animal and underwater terrain included, can easily be a $30/€30 set like the 2020 submarine. Now that 2023 submarine set however, seems like quite a high piece count, wonder how much of it is a Submarine, vs Terrain (City does do more side builds for trees etc this year for sure) vs underwater structure (sunken ship build for example), the last underwater base was probably very succesful as it retired later then the other 2020 sets, and 2015 Divers did have a larger sunken ship, wonder what Dive suit it will use, 2020 had new helmets for the red divers and used atlantis/spacesuit helms for the deeper suits.

Yeah those Room sets look great, even work well as expansion parts packs for things like 3-in-1 scale house/appartment rooms (8x16 plate is already provided), with the amount of bricks/tiles/windows and interior pieces like drawers, sliding doors and overall decoration/accesoires. (sure it won't build you full houses but that's why I call it expansion set) Nova's Room especially uses a very different color scheme, but it works, with the neon tiles, purple line and then darkblue walls, and the overall theme of a Gaming/Streaming room is a bit different.

I like creature builds and this Dragon Slayer Hound sounds intriguing.