Stuartn

It's great that we're getting a Walmart and a Target exclusive this year, those of us who aren't in North America can feel just that extra bit valued as consumers! Is the $30 Target set confirmed? It would seem odd that Lego would have exclusives at two competing US stores.

I agree with both these points, I simply said bionicle as an example, which I could have said more clearly I'll admit. Unlike the other themes which have recently had sets, or whole themes, later than the last bionicle sets, bionicle, is well, bionicle, whereas other themes, such as arctic, paradisia, divers, town and train, are now part off other themes, such as City. Because of the divisions between different parts of themes such as space and castle in this survey, it is difficult to ascertain whether recent themes, such as the 2015 pirates theme, are technically the same theme. Bionicle was just the most poignant and inarguable example. If bionicle does win, I won't be disappointed because it is no less deserving than some other themes, and I think that the inclusion of bionicle, the most recent theme, should justify the inclusion of other constraction and system themes up until 2016. I actually think town, trains, paradisia, arctic, divers and model team are probably less deserving than bionicle, that said I will vote for trains. In bionicle's defence, there is also a misconception that bionicle is only large constraction sets. There were many large system scale sets throughout the theme which should appeal to many other consumers.

They could have done, say five small sets, for around US$50 each, to represent town, trains, space, castle and pirates, maybe a sixth for bionicle, and everyone could've gotten a set they wanted. I didn't realise the important role bionicle played in TLG business wise, it might be good to do it now for the 90th anniversary, saving a system set for the 100th in 2031.

Same goes for trains, even though I will be voting for trains, it doesn't really need it because unlike space, trains has an almost certain prospect of getting new sets over the next few years and already has a set available.

To reference the last ideas survey, I have a bad feeling about this. Look what happened with the SW UCS survey, some youtuber began influencing people to vote, and many people voted thinking that the set they chose (gunship) would come with tonnes of figures, and if you were one of the people that appreciated what you would get if the gunship won, and voted not for a ridiculous amount of figures, but for the aesthetics and design features of the actual gunship, realising and liking what the realistic set would eventuate as, well you're unfairly lumped in with those that voted for the wrong reasons. This is a very SW related situation, but the same could happen with these classic sets. This list of options is a bionicle gunship, 27 nebulon Bs and a couple of TIE Bombers (what would be really great sets but don't have a chance). Everyone will end up bickering about it and for no reason since, as Lego say themselves, the vote is not transparent so they will pick what they want anyway. I am dumbfounded as to why bionicle is on the list, I think the bionicle pieces are no less an important part of Lego than system sets, but the last bionicle sets come out 5 YEARS AGO!! It started 20 years ago, earlier than some other options, and there was a break between 2010 and 2016, but it seems so modern compared with other choices, and you must wonder why Hero Factory was not included. I also wonder why the space and castle themes are so divided up, when town and trains are not. This could, and probably will mean that the united vote of town, trains and bionicle fans will win out over the more deserving space and castle. Both space and castle have had their last proper theme in 2013, and they have both had the odd sets appear, such as in the creator, ideas (the upcoming blacksmith set) and Lego movie themes, as has pirates. Castle has had some more attention with castle-ish (emphasis on the ish) sets in ninjago and nexo nights. I would anticipate that futuron was left off the list because of its association with the monorial. Either it miraculously included a monorail in which case town, train and space fans will all vote for it, giving no hope to any other theme, or it doesn't include one and the people who voted for it are dissapointed.

That would be typical wouldn't it, let's celebrate 90 years of Lego with bionicle! Let's hope some youtuber or someone doesn't start telling people to vote for something, like what happened with the SW gunship. A nice train set would be nice though, I will vote for trains. I think space and castle deserve it most because those themes are the least likely to get any representation in the future, and though I would prefer a town set, we already have city sets and I care more for trains than the other themes.

I hope we end up with a set that is either space, pirates or classic castle, there are already town and arctic sets (city), friends is similar to paradisa and train sets will be made again. While I would prefer town or trains myself, I think space is more deserving.

I don't use third party parts, but I have nothing against them. For every custom train wheel, clone trooper minifigure and realistic gun accessory in a moc, there are hundreds if not thousands of official Lego pieces being used by the creator. Custom parts take skill to use and if anything would drive up Lego sales, because custom parts on their own aren't very useful. I suppose Lego wouldn't want custom parts on Bricklink for the above reasons and as it is a very fine line between a useful accessory (which most third party parts are anyway) and a clone part. They have to balance removing competition from clone parts (which I don't begrudge them doing) and not impacting sales of custom products that enhance their product and their sales. I suppose their approach is just to suppress anything that resembles their product. I don't have an issue with not displaying custom parts in a the Bricklink catalogue (they are Lego compatible, not Lego parts), and they have the right to only sell and promote their product, but surely if a product can be demonstrated that it is safe they could be allowed on individual sellers, provided that they do not attempt to emulate a Lego part and actually fill a role that Lego cannot, such as train curves bigger than R40. I would imagine that a company the size of TLG could come up with some form of legal protection to clear themselves of liability. As for weapons, I suppose that is in line with company values (that said, a 2016 city set (853570) did have a gun in it!). I wouldn't say 4w cars are an unpopular opinion. Probably not the majority opibnion, but you're not alone there. I prefer 4w cars too. Many city sets this year have 4w cars.

I'm not sure if this has been asked before, but would General Dodonna's torso and leg pieces work for a Davits Draven figure, from Rogue One. I am currently working on a blue squadron X wing moc and that figure would be more relevant than Dodonna. Does anyone have any ideas for a hair and head pieces. Thanks in advance.

I wonder why ambulance sets are not made more regularly. I wholly agree that police and fire are more exciting and popular for kids, but ambulance sets could have the same appeal. I know general ambulances might be for a more mature consumer, but ambulance and rescue helicopters with working winches and planes would surely have a similar level of appeal at the very least? The ski resort set shows the potential variety in the theme.

I don't use custom parts as a matter of principle, I understand some custom minifigure printing and accessories, because there really isn't an alternative, but to me other 'regular' parts just feel like cheating. To me using a part that is not official, and is not offered or made by Lego seems to defeat the whole purpose of using Lego, which is to use creativity to build something. I have to agree, no sound minded company would facilitate selling other versions of their own products. If the custom parts were not safe (though they probably are) and something occurred, it would be a massive headache for them.

Shiny is ok, its just that they are shiny to the extent you can see your own reflection in them! If you display them next to older road plates or other DBG pieces, it looks different. I don't mind personally, but I thought I should say for fairness. Scratches show up more if they are scratched, but they are not easier to scratch.

I don't want any sets that are strictly exploration based, I can see the competition with city, just something that is more fluid in storyline, like space themes up until the last space police, as conflict only sets are at the other end of the spectrum and compete with Star Wars sets. I suppose it could.

Unfortunately I cannot see any Australian locomotive being produced soon, or anything Asian, African or South American, despite the thousands of iconic trains that come from them. The AD60 would be great, it is a 4-8-4+4-8-4 arrangement, and I have seen many mocs which are able to navigate R40 curves. As you said, Lego sticks to proven concepts, so anything new is unlikely.

I have got a few copies of 60304 due to lower than expected prices at Australian stores and I am hesitantly eyeing of 60291, but I might wait to see if a 20% off sale comes around soon. Other than that I don't think I will get anything else. I think they work very well. My only criticism is that they do appear a bit shiny, but rubbing a tyre part against them removes the sheen, the white printing is a different white to any other white pieces, but that doesn't bother me as much. I am glad we got the crossing sign printed. The similar sign appear as a sticker from 2009, but I think the printed version is much better. On another note, since we seem to be going back to 4-wide vehicles partially now, does anyone else wish that part 92409 was used in place 87697 or 11209 as it was for two cars in the City Garage set, I much prefer the smaller wheels that do not stick out past the mudguards.

I completely agree with your sentiments that it is the right time for a gunship. The last UCS releases in the last few years have been starfighters and large, grey ships and vehicles (a trend that will obviously continue with the AT-AT), while the gunship is something very different. I wouldn't really want one, but it would be an impressive sight. As you have said it has such complex angles and colour schemes, that it will look very impressive when constructed, more so at a UCS scale. I think such shapes and detail can be achieved just as well at system scale, but the idea of a UCS set is to capture such detail and characteristics of ships, which the gunship has a lot of, and I am coming to the view it will probably be a great build. Having new P1 clone pilots or maybe one regular trooper would be great, but it is a UCS set, its about the vehicle and that should be the standout itself. I do have to disagree about the nebulon-B though, it is a brilliantly designed ship and appears as much more than a stage backdrop, and I do look forward to the day we get one. Despite that, I think the gunship is more deserving of a UCS set sooner, though it appears in th movies less, it was more prominent in the ones it was in, and I won't begin to deny thefurther exposure that CW has given it..

I think an 18+ system scale set would sell much better than a UCS one. The meditation chamber set now shows that system scale 18+ sets can/will be done, so why not? It would allow for a better figure selection. I cannot really see what a UCS version of the ship could really achieve compared to system scaled sets, besides a ridiculous price tag. Almost all of the highly detailed mocs I have seen of the ship are minifigure scaled or smaller. I agree that if this set goes poorly, as the first UCS PT set in ages it will impact any further 18+ prequel sets. The AT-AT might be considerably closer to minifigure scale, so there is a better chance than most UCS sets of a good figure selection. I think two AT AT pilots would be included at least, as well as Veers and maybe the Snowtrooper Commander, since they are the characters who appeared in the AT AT's cockpit. We might get a snowspeeder pilot Luke to hang underneath like the system scale set.

I am glad that TLG have shown that they can cover almost all aspects of the franchise like this is a single wave, considering the amount of new content Disney are creating over the next years. It gives confidence that all new shows and content will have some representation in sets. I wonder if this might become a new direction for the SW theme, with OT sets represented as UCS,MBS, statue/helmet and other 18+ sets, as well as downscaled sets such as Slave I, and recent TIE Fighter and X Wing, while the current content (such as CW and Mandalorian, as an example) occupies the main sets.

I was mainly thinking of larger ships, but I'll admit I forgot about the GR75 being in episode IX. I agree it doesn't need to be huge, and it would probably actually benefit from being smaller, as it wasn't a big ship, I would be content to get the 77904 set, of only it was sold here, or maybe something just slightly bigger. I think that all three sets on the shortlist will probably be the same or similar size and price point (around 350) if they are ever done, as that way Lego would know that whatever is chosen, it will work with their planned set line-up.

To be extremely, extremely technical, the nebulon B appears in more movies than any other starship in the star wars universe*, and we have had the 77904 set, which isn't really a regular set but has sold well (though as you implied that was after the survey) I couldn't see an $800 set either, unfortunately, but Lego must be prepared to make a UCS version of the ship, since they did place it in the survey with the gunship and TIE bomber. *that is differentiating the ISD I and ISD II and also differentiating the Tantive IV from other blockade runners, if that differentiation is not made it is equal to those. I thought I should explain so I don't seem crazy!

Brilliant idea, and very well executed

I think I would prefer a harbour theme over coast guard, but I see no reason why those two themes couldn't be combined (ocean exploration could tie in as well), in the same way the the original 2007 harbour theme included municipal vehicles and a service station, and the 2011 theme had marinas, leisure craft and race boats. I don't really mind wildlife rescue being included because in NSW we have the government funded RSPCA and the partially government funded charity WIRES that do this sort of thing, so it doesn't seem as foreign. However, as I have said before, I think these sets should have there own theme along with exploration to free up room for more city-based sets. What I don't understand is why Lego don't capitalise on the AFOL market and offer more realistic and better detailed modern city sets, I know this would compete with modulars but some buyers might prefer some modern, less expensive alternatives, as well as vehicles in minifigure scale. Obviously what AFOLs and children want is different, so why can't Lego supply both.

I think so, I would guess that it would come with probably a phase I clone pilot and a regular phase I clone trooper or just two pilots, to be on the display stand. Still, I cannot see it being in the same scale as other UCS sets, like the A wing or X wing, as that would be massive.

It is an incredible build, I have seen many miniature/midi-scaled versions done extremely well, but this is the first time I have ever seen one at this size. I love the smooth surfaces and the colour choices are also great. I agree with @Brikkyy13, some mini MTTs (and AATs) would look great with it.

BigW had the TIE for $69, the same as LEGO, so $65 is very reasonable, especially when compared to previous TIE fighter prices. It is strange that the other 2021 sets have not appeared at the same time.