danth

I was actually going to disagree, using the same picture as an example! I mean, I see where you guys are coming from. This set is primitive by today's standards, sure. But in so many ways, this set has things that were just simply not even close to "near-future realism". For one, we've never been close to having "space ships", i.e., ships that can fly around on the moon, and land vertically on the moon. Even the most recent City Space sets have nothing like that, 40 years later. Also, moon bases with paved, lighted landing pads? That's nothing we've ever been close to, especially in 1978. And again, even 2019 City Space has nothing like that. Refueling and launching rockets from computerized moon bases? Hovercraft? No way was that near-future realism. I mean, if Classic Space was supposed to be near-future realism, where is the earth-based shuttle launch facility? Every realistic, or near-realistic Space theme has had one. It's always the flagship set. But it's missing completely from Classic Space. So I have to disagree. Classic Space was "primitive" in the sense that set design and parts were more limited in 1978, but it didn't evoke "primitive" space travel. They had freaking space ships and moon bases. That's far future stuff, closer to Star Wars than City Space.

Is that Fabuland, or Fabulands? (Borderlands, Fabulands, get it?)

Uh oh. Maybe I should have asked this too. But I want to believe...

I can't really argue with this. Which is why I push the idea of CLASSIC. THEMED. CREATOR. SETS. If there's one big Space set a year, with the parts to build a ship, base, and rover, and a few printed parts, it would probably satisfy demand. And provide the parts so that fans could build out their own "theme" of sets. Still though. Nobody wanted Ninjago or Nexo Knights until Lego made them, made cartoons for them, and put them on TV. I think Lego could do that for a new Space theme, but there's no point when they have Star Wars. It would be self competition, and Lego would get an epic smack down from Disney like nobody would believe. I don't think you're wrong. I've seen amazing Space MOCs on Ideas get almost no support, much to my dismay. Although I think a lot of people there support what they think should be popular, not what they actually want. This is why half or more of the sets that reach 10k are essentially the same as the last few IDEAS sets. Like, all the ramshackle buildings after the Fishing Store, all the 80's cars after the Ecto-1, all the TV sets after the Central Perk. It's kinda ridiculous. I will say that I don't believe any stories about what themes sold poorly. We don't really know how Galaxy Squad fared compared to expectations, and what we do hear is all based on anecdote. Yet I can't count how many times I've seen Star Wars or Marvel sets warming the shelves and marked down. And nobody ever claims that they don't sell. At least we can take comfort that Benny's Space Squad sold out everywhere. I can only speak for myself, but I bought multiple copies of the Exo Suit and Benny's SSS. But if you got them when they came out, it wasn't a braggable purchase. Anyone could get them. It's the vintage sets that get the facebook likes and inspire envy.

I know right? Lego Worlds also had a Space expansion and I bought the game for that alone. And now this game also gets glorious Space stuff. So somebody knows Space is awesome and well loved, just not those making sets. :(

As usual, it's the people trying to deny the problem who get the most outraged, so much so that they have to exit the conversation. Maybe you feel too entitled to having your opinions go unchallenged? This whole thread seems pretty civil to me, no outrage, just maybe some sarcasm when deserved. But yeah, god forbid that people in the Sci-Fi Forum want more Sci-Fi sets.

No, no, if something comes up all the time, and everyone is complaining about it, it proves that everything is actually perfect!

You realize you're in the Sci-Fi forum right? Most of those are literally in the City theme. They're clearly not Sci-Fi, but NASA-inspired. Heck, the rover set is even set on Earth. It should have been named Rover Test Drive. Nobody in here is arguing that we don't have enough NASA sets.

Personally I don't require any specific color schemes, but I will say that, every Lego Space theme that was ever made, other than Galaxy Squad and Alien Invasion (which is arguably not even a Space theme), had colored windscreens. Colored windscreens were, for most of Lego history, the first thing you saw in a Lego set that signified you weren't looking at some conventional earth vehicle, but instead something out of this world. They're what made a space base a space base and not an airport. They made a space rover a space rover and not an earth truck. Obviously you don't need colored windscreens to achieve this but it sure helps and it always looks way cooler. I mean, it's why Nexo Knights used only colored windscreens.

I agree we've been pretty lucky to get some trans yellow windscreens from Bat Man sets and other colored pieces generally. It's nice for MOCers. But "lucky" is relative. I mean, I feel lucky to get anything at all, mainly because of the desperate lack of non-licensed Space sets. If we should feel lucky to just to get a few usable pieces every year, does this apply to Star Wars fans? Should Lego JUST produce parts packs, and then the SW people can just do MOCs, and not get to complain? You have to admit, sometimes it just feels good to buy a set that you like, and build it from the instructions. And not have to scrounge up pieces from various themes and do a bunch of Bricklink orders.

Putting this here since we don't have a 2021 thread. Could this be a CLASSIC. THEMED. CREATOR. SET??? Well, it definitely sounds like it's gonna be a SCI-FI SPACE creator set, and fully Sci-Fi, unlike Space Rover Explorer which is a weird mish-mash of NASA-style realism, a bit of Sci-Fi (tiny green alien and Vic Viper C model), a Classic Space logo on the astronaut, and motor home stripes. That set is truly schizophrenic. But this is a MECH. So any kind of NASA-style realism is out the window. This is Sci-Fi for sure. So, awesome! My only two questions are, will it use one of the amazing, existing color schemes from LEGO Space sub-theme history, like M-Tron, with some appropriate logos? if not, will it have exciting colors, like trans-purple windscreens or something, or boring colors like Space Rover Explorer? Regardless, I'm excited. LEGO seems to be pushing the Creator Sci Fi Space set envelope here.

Thanks, and, Holy Mother of God. Awesome!

Space mech? I haven't heard of any space mech. Did I miss something?

How so? I don't have an opinion on this. Just want to hear your comparison.

Hey, it's time for my favorite topic! To anyone who doubts Star Wars gets in the way of non-licensed Space sets, here are the facts, mostly copied from a past post of mine: The first year ever, after 20+ steady years, that there were no Lego Space sets was 2000. This was immediately after the first ever Star Wars sets in 1999. Then, in 2001 when Space sets returned, they were on Mars. A real world in our very own solar system. Not deep space, not out in the galaxy. Not anything that could be confused with Star Wars. Then nothing for six years while Star Wars movies were in theaters. Finally, in 2007 we got Lego Space sets again. On Mars...again. And just in time not to compete with the Revenge of the Sith sets. Then we get pretty steady Lego Space on the shelves until 2014. Guess what happens the year after? The Force Awakens. All evidence points to some non-competition strategy to keep in-house Space sets off the shelves when there are Star Wars movies being made.  Huh? Why wouldn't modern unlicensed space sets be just as high quality as other modern sets? Have you seen Galaxy Squad and Benny's Spaceship Spaceship Spaceship? Those were awesome.

You managed to get that exactly backwards. In this very thread, the first two mentions of "nostalgia" are used to argue against bringing back a space theme. And in every discussion I've ever seen on the topic, it's been that way. Wanting unlicensed space themes = nostalgia, wanting more sets from a 40-year old movie = the bleeding edge of unbiased modernity. The irony here is that Star Wars fandom is pure nostalgia. There's no problem with that. Nostalgia sells. It feels good. But it's only considered a bad thing when you want something fresh and different, like unlicensed space sets. I wouldn't say that. I mean, I lived through it. After RotJ, kids were onto the next thing. GI Joe, He Man, Transformers, etc. And every kid I knew had Lego Space sets. Lego Space went strong into the late '90s, way after people moved on from Star Wars. Obviously that changed after the special editions and prequels. You're artificially limiting this discussion to Classic Space. The original post was about Space in general. Lego Space went on uninterrupted for 22 years. I think Star Wars is tied with that now. Unless you count Space Police 3, Mars Mission, Galaxy Squad, etc, in which case there have been more years with unlicensed Space sets. Anyway, I've said it before and I'll say it again. CLASSIC. THEMED. CREATOR. SETS. The pirate ship is a perfect example of how to do it right. The space rover set was weak; it needed exciting colors, not motor-home stripes. And it should have been bigger. We would ideally get a $100 creator set for Space each year. There would be no reason not to alternate through old themes (Ice Planet, Futuron, Blacktron, etc); those color schemes are still awesome so kids would like them, and of course AFOLs would love to see those themes again.

Yes, nostalgia is dangerous. People who want new, non-licensed, sci-fi Space sets are just suffering from a serious case of nostalgia. Instead, let's just keep buying the same sets from a 40-year old movie, over and over again, forever...

Dude those are awesome. Totally work as space ships too.

I can tell you with certainty there is no gray 80s Lego Space set with 6 or 8 arms. Either it wasn't Space (Technic maybe?), or it wasn't Lego (Tyco Super Blocks?), or it wasn't 80s. Or some other detail is wrong. Insectoids had some sets with 4-6 legs but that was late 90's.

Wow, nice brick-built dish!

I think we need more and bigger pictures!

I really like it! It has a whimsy that a lot of Neo Classic Space MOCs lack. Very evocative of actual Classic Space sets! I wish we'd get that circular bubble canopy in trans yellow!

Thanks the for the heads up @jodawill! I like to call it the "new old helmet". Pretty cool we're getting it in black! Still need red.

You know what the original design inspiration for the Millenium Falcon was? A hamburger. And it turned out pretty cool. I think any future Lego Space sets are gonna be just fine.

As a lifetime fan of Star Wars and space ships, I think Star Wars is creatively bankrupt in spaceship design at this point and isn't spoiling anyone. Star Wars designs are either 40 years old (OG trilogy), 20 years old (prequels), or derivatives or mash ups of 40 year old designs (sequels). Or otherwise boring and derivative, like the Mandalorian ship, which is a fairly basic/generic dropship. The original designs were great for their time but I think people are pretty tired of them. I don't think LEGO would have any trouble cranking out amazing space ship designs. The designers at LEGO are pretty genius, and LEGO Spaceship history is full of great, original, and unique designs. Like Starfleet Voyager or Stardefender 200. With modern pieces and techniques of course the above designs would be even more amazing. But even with the limits of the time, the above still look way cooler to me than this SW set from over a decade later: