NoOneOfImportance

Frankly, I wouldn't count out the Sequel Trilogy for UCS sets. It will just take time for people to warm up to the movies more again, as inevitably will happen with at least TFA (just like it has happened with the PT).

And even if we did, it comes back to - LEGO didn't make that set for a reason. No idea what the "better set" you speak of would be @legoturtle, since the design was already pretty great, but if LEGO didn't decide to produce the set they completely designed, they aren't gonna make it because of ideas either. And with that, I am done posting in this thread. It's going in circles. I loved the 3 sets we got, and I'm happy to have those. See you in another thread, everyone.

Not sure there is any indication that the launch was "so bad." They just decided to only make these sets, and that's that. We can deliberate why they could have done this in circles, but it doesn't change anything. I am sure LEGO makes their choices based on license-holders's requests, profit expectations, etc. as any good business would. As such, they made three sets for the line. LEGO put 100% into the three Indy sets released, as I'm sure many would agree. They put 100% into the Space 2024. There is no indication that Space will continue after next year, and LEGO didn't make a mistake if they don't make more for years afterwards.

The biggest question in my opinion with an MTT would be less the color but rather how large they would want to make it. Would LEGO be willing to use a flagship set spot for that, and if so, how large would it be?

I don't think this is experimenting in the way you think. While there is a faction that wants more classic space, it's pretty clear that 10497 did NOT sell well (for whatever reason you think that may be - I know people have different opinions on that set). LEGO KNOWS that space sells well between Ideas sets, Lunar Lander, etc., so this is just them capitalizing on that with a variety of space-inspired products to tie together themes. It is sadly a bit presumptuous to think LEGO is moving towards more classic space when most of what is releasing for space fig-wise is more akin to mars mission than anything else.

Exactly. And even with current license tie-ins that had been doing well - Marvel sets - those are now consistently sitting on shelves on sale and/or not selling (and I'd be surprised if we see many sets for new Marvel movies when they release because of the responses to Eternals, Black Panther 2, etc. sets of late). I think the best bet is that we see a good Edoras D2C in response to the show - ties in with the Rohirrim while also having the popularity of classic LOTR.

And even then, the Avatar and Indy sets don't seem to be doing all that well outside of the initial rush for Indy ones. I would love to see more LOTR sets, but they aren't going to release a ton of Battle Packs without sets to go with them. Those battle packs would fail immediately after the first rush of adult fans got to them, as telling kids they can build a Gondor army without anything else for them to buy feels pointless (even if Orcs were around too). I would enjoy seeing more good LOTR sets, but LEGO couldn't even seem to get classic castle off the ground in 2013 surrounded by Lord of the Rings sets, and all 2014 Hobbit sets had to go on deep clearance on LEGO's site, I doubt they have a lot of faith in the license outside of die-hard adult fans. They created some solid sets to go alongside the Hobbit, and those failed. They aren't going to risk a line of sets now without any tie-in except a vocal but relatively small adult fanbase who would buy them.

I have a feeling kids are much more enthused by a handle than a black display stand, but I think in this case the ideal would be having the stand there for adult interest, since the average kid probably thinks its just a cool expensive ship like the others no matter what.

I would love to see the area in some form, but I don't think it would work at a UCS/MBS. The entire scene is a flat surface with some posts, with area seating around it. Maybe the full area could work as a microscale like the Colosseum, but I think the scene lends itself better to a $170ish set with just 1-2 posts and the three creatures, with 8-9 figures. I wonder if it's a situation where there is just too much consumer interest in spaceships, etc. to lend a flagship set to some (essentially) dinosaurs for Star Wars. The amount of new moulds that would be expected (whether needed or not), as well as the inevitable complaints that it didn't include what x consumer wanted may also be a turnoff: The stands are too large to be included in a set effectively for less than $350 or so, but also too large to be anything other than a boring and incomplete build if they did do that (since they couldn't do the whole area "economically." The beasts would need new moulds (at least 1-2 each) to look best for a set that is kinda an experiment for the theme at the necessarily price point (no spaceships or duels - and even the last $50 duel did badly). There are 4 posts, each of which would be too repetitive to be attractive to a consumer, and if you built the ground around them, it would be flatter than 75334 (which is saying something). And inevitably people would complain that they didn't include this or that list of jedi that they wanted.

The biggest fault that I think this set has if they want it to feel like a Bowie or Quinjet-level set is foregoing the black stand. It would have added some parts to the count, and it would have made it a "display model" that could have appealed to more collectors.

It has been confirmed by the designer on instagram that he specifically designed this version to fit the figs side-by-side.

I wouldn't be surprised if LEGO Marvel movie sets also start to peter off. We're already seeing sets released for movies this year like the Guardians' New Ship retire, and older sets are sitting on shelves without moving (Black Panther 2, etc.). As much as superhero fatigue is a controversial phrase, you can't deny that superhero movies aren't doing as well anymore, whether due to being poorly done, or otherwise. LEGO isn't going to go all out for a franchise, movie, etc. that is just doomed to fail, and I would not be surprised if we started to see a max of 1-2 sets per new marvel movie rather than full waves of 3-4+ with this in mind. Heck, even sets like the No Way Home final battle are sitting on shelves, despite the popularity of that movie (yes the set is $110, but still). As for DC, we also really don't know how the new Batman sets sold... Would be interesting to find out.

Heads up - LEGO Empire is just using Bantha Toy's images, they don't actually have the set personally. Only HelloThereRex has the set himself in hand for a Youtube review. I do think it would have been nice to have the accessory pack, but it's still a good set without. Now where is the $30 OT battle pack with 4 stormtroopers?

Dedra Meero?

And with the Snowie pack now gone, we are left with nothing but extraordinary amounts of clones...

See I'm in the camp where I am excited for the midis and the diorama, but that's about it. I'm not as big of a Clone Wars fan (nothing against it), so I'm just sitting around waiting for a good way to amass Imperials again (and every year seeing more Clones instead...)

I would not be surprised if we got redesigns of multiple Spidey figs in January. To my knowledge (and this was mentioned elsewhere as well), we haven't gotten a Spidey design refresh in a bit, and I could see that happening with Ghost Spider, Ock, Goblin, and perhaps even Venom since all of them have been using their 2020 designs for the past 3 years in the few instances they have appeared (except Venom, as he's been in everything). The Bugle would really be the only "outdated" set with designs, and for that set it wouldn't hurt it, since none of the designs are bad (and that set reportedly retires December 2024 by current lists, so the old designs wouldn't be around that long in production anyway). But to be fair, that is all speculation. For all we know Venom will just have a different backpack or no changes at all.

Considering that city trains have used wheels with friction bands on them, this is very likely not the issue. I'm sure some bands were used. If bands were the issue, it is very likely a situation where it would involve creating a new mould of some sort to have the friction bands on the larger locomotive wheels, which they did not want to do (unless I am unaware of a currently available part with that). My guess is that (as @kbalage said in his video), it was a situation where any method of adding motorization caused some unknown stress that was not allowed within the QC testing for trains - similar to how @Anio and his 75060 Slave 1 bar modifications caused some kind of unknown stress that was not allowed when designing the set but may work fine for individual redesigns (apologies if I am not crediting the correct designer of the Slave 1 mods). We don't know enough of how LEGO does testing on train components to make a definite conclusion here, but it is nice to see some solutions working now.

The same print on a different color would still be considered a new part, so it would cost factory space and likely some degree of money, even if that isn't spent in development time for the print itself.

The hardest part of Moria is making all of the individual scenes into a cohesive set. While there are a lot of good areas, a big set (even $500 USD), would have to connect the areas weirdly to include them all (I personally don't want an Assault on Hoth situation for a LOTR D2C). Sets like Bag End for $300 or a microscale Minas Tirith for $470 would be great, but in either case, they are singular, connected locations rather than a bunch of scenes that happen to be in the same place.

The odd thing is that we have an AFOL modular set releasing a few days beforehand as the Avengers Tower, so it's not like the 18+ line isn't getting something new at the same time. And again, A-Tower is a modular as well, which means this is the closest that two modulars have released to each other (to my knowledge).

I think some of this is also dependent on how they display the figures. For example, if they were doing something similar to 2019 with the classic figs remade, or to HP with the golden figures in 2021, then I could see one being in a D2C. For example, a golden classic Boba in the Sail Barge. But I just don't see a random fig showing up in a Sail Barge or something. In the case of HP and Ninjago as well, the D2Cs were centered on the idea of the celebration. NC Gardens was THE anniversary set above them all (with Wu in it accordingly), and Icons was a celebration of Harry Potter (with the three golden figs in it). The Sail Barge doesn't really fit this in my opinion. Maybe if it was a Death Star or something, but not a Sail Barge.

Agreed on this. Every floor has some central item, but otherwise just emptiness around it. There's a prison without much surrounding. There's an armory, but there's just one suit screen and a stand in the center (Ironically I feel like adding in bits of 76216 would help with this). It just feels less busy than it should. The Bugle had personality on every floor and bits of newsroom clutter. This feels so polished and empty. It still feels like a good expensive D2C for the tower, in part because I'll be displaying it on the modular street and keeping it closed generally, and the outside is perfect, but the inside is just underwhelming.

Agreed on the Indy comment (though those just sit at my local Target of late) The thing is, do we know that LEGO Marvel is doing well overall? Movie sets or otherwise? Heck, I expected the Spiderman Final Battle to be out of stock consistently for a little while, but it never seems to sell at my local Target, much less GOTG3 sets (a movie that did well overall and had sets with the full team split up to collect). Even the tie-in sets for movies and shows that are enjoyed from Phase 4-5 just seem to fill shelves. And we don't need to talk about buildable figures. While I would agree that LEGO should shy away from MCU sets as much and focus on comics-based sets again (Please 2099, LEGO), we have to ask if that's even the issue here in the first place, or if it's super-hero sets as a whole...

Agreed with this, and I think it makes sense. It's just like how the ROS line wasn't branded as 20th anniversary. Any 25th sets will likely be staples of the theme, remakes of classic sets, or iconic moments or figures from Star Wars as a whole. As such, it doesn't make sense to have Mando or Ahsoka there as "newer content." The sad thing, what does make sense then is another Luke's Landspeeder.