Ardelon

So, I held off writing my opinions, since it takes up some time and was hoping for a better pic (surprised the first page still isnt updated with the one we have), but I couldnt resist: - Hun: Probably my favorite fig of this series. Still, not liking the straight sword – I was hoping for a new scimitar/sabre mold, which was, after all, preferred over straight swords by cavalrymen. I actually expected a bow and quiver (in dark brown, perhaps). And I didnt know Huns were stereotyped as wearing horned helmets? Not complaining, the helmets are nice, also good for Warcraft style orcs. - Gamer: Not my cup of tea, but nice to see the short sleeves taking off, as well as alternate colors of the hair-with-earphones. - Genie girl: Nice, also for a normal female. Though like many, I too expected some shade of pink. And I hoped the lamp would be a new color. Her hair seems to be a blond version of the dino huntress hair? - Prospector: Not that bland as I first thought. I was hoping for a more dirty/worn look, and maybe a scarecrow hat recolor. Nice to have the Wiley Fusebot beard recolor, but I would have preferred the look of the prospector from TLM. And Im a bit disappointed he doesnt have another accessory, like a gold crystal or dynamite. But otherwise a good fig. - Lifeguard: OK. What I and everybody excpected. Could be good for the bare torso. Cool shades, too. But not really interested. - Rocker: Meh. Would have preferred an Elvis-style rocker with a normal acoustic guitar. Not interested. - Wizard: OK. While its nice to get a traditional wizard with robes instead of legs and a more stereotypical hat, Im not as excited as some (despite preferring historical/fantasy figs) since I didnt mind the way wizards are done until now. Shame the beard isnt in white, and he doesnt have some new magical scroll tile or chemist erlenmeyer flask in a new color. - Swashbuckler: Nice. Been hoping for a flamboyant „Errol Flynn“ pirate. I especially appreciate the hat recolor. Not a fan of gold weapons; it reduces army-building potential. - Dino hunter: OK. Strange concept. But a nice complement to the Dino line or the UA line as a Toxikita henchwoman. And, as I said, nice to see more short sleeves, side leg printing, and the olympic bow too, I guess. Im interested to see what the hair looks like from the back (bun, pigtail or ponytail?). A useful fig for parts, now that I think about it. - Jester: OK, I guess. Would have preffered more primary colors. Or, even better, a harlequin-style fig (maybe next time!). Waiting to get a good look at the joker tile. So, is the orange the same as on Wolverine or the forest firemen? I really like that color. - Space miner: Interesting concept, meh execution. I really hoped for the helmet in pearl gold or copper/bronze. And the tool, while original, doesnt look very miner-ish. Maybe if it was attached to this piece (and the drill/unicorn piece itself could have been in a trans color, like the ice planet saw?). I wonder what markings the armor will have. - Princess: Why not. Im Interested in seeing the back of the hennin & hair. Funny (and useful) accessory. - Battle goddess: Cool fig, but less army-building potential that I hoped. This is one fig where I would have liked the helmet without hair. I wonder if the plume is detachable and interchangeable with the centurion. And the spear (another golden weapon!) reused from the warrior woman / Amazon – they could have tried something new, like a gold shaft and an metallic tip. The sandal print looks good, but for it to work on other figs, Ill have to know whats under her skirt... - Spooky girl: Interesting, but not really for me. Shame about the spider on the torso, but it does give her character. The hairpiece is the best part about her, IMO. - Pig suit guy: Not interested in these characters. A nice accessory might have swayed me, but as I wrote before, the Apple wont cut it. - Pizza boy: OK. The box tile is neat, but i didnt think the pizza needed an update. But why not. Otherwise, pretty bland fig. Eagerly waiting for WhiteFangs review, as well as news of future series.

Great concept and execution! Though its probably not a good idea to keep the panzerfaust ammo (or is it?) hanging openly from the sides... and it looks like the elephant cant even see where its going! (or are the blinds intentional?)

Sure, until it starts having negative consequences on sales. I think its natural that TLG wants to protect its brand name, its not just a random whim, and wouldnt call it "crying over" the issue.

Dunno about other voters reasons, but speaking for myself, your own cannons are too detailed (thus not very LEGO-like) for my taste, thats why I prefer the other designs. I dont think it matters that much, If TLG picks this up, Im sure they would modify the design as they see fit.

A direct link might be better:

Yup, what Darth Brickus said. No idea if it was discussed on the internet at large, but here on EB this point was brought up. Its about the idea of mighty whities waltzing around third-world countries and solving their problems by defeating the inherently evil/stupid rulers of said countries. I dont think anyone here was actually on board with this criticism, but that doesnt mean we cant see where it is coming from. If TLG released such a theme today, I bet the controversy-mongers would have a field day.

My opinion of this set grew when I saw these new pics. The house seems easily modable, Mrs Claus looks great, the tree doesnt look as blocky as I thought at first glance and the machine is very nicely done. The interior also looks nice and cozy. That said, Im not into the WV theme, and ill pass on this one as well. Im a bit disappointed in the prints used for the elves, and its a shame the cxonveyor belt isnt a real one, since theyve done working conveyor belts in the past. Maybe if the reindeer were molded, it would have swayed me. These brick-built ones look cute and all, but a mold is a mold. I wonder when we will see the new(ish?) 2x2 round tile with hole with a christmas wreath print. Would seem better suited for it than the alternatives. Not that a green life preserver doesnt do the trick...

This looks great! You made me want to re-watch the episodes after over ten years... I hope youll do the kitchen!

I would also love a revisiting of the Adventurer theme, though Orient Expediion would need a more PC approach nowadays. If its time for an undersea theme, maybe the two can be combined into and undersea adventurer theme, with the reuse of the CMF "vintage-era" diver helmet.

I wouldnt have a problem with overlooking the collar. Same as I never a problem with the flat-chested Paradisa figs you mentioned earlier, not even when placing older figs next to newer ones. A matter of personal perception, I guess.

I for one would prefer molded creatures like the traditional dragons or wargs, instead of the Ninjago/Viking "robo-dragons", which would probably turn me off the sets. It would just be more visually compatible with the other Castle themes. And it would be a new way to go for Vikings. I guess we all have our tastes.

@ mccoyed: Well, we probably agree on most things - TLG moving in the right direction with better ratios and variety, less of a necessity on printed breasts and hips (for reasons we may not agree on) where eyes can convey gender, or the positive role of the feminist movement. Cheers. Yeah, I noticed you were rather outnumbered. I, for, one, look forward to the next debate this thread brings.

I fully agree that lipstick and eyes would do the job better; IMO that would be enough and breasts and hips would be unnecessary. But it was you who complained that "ALL contemporary female minifigs that are not children have lipstick. Every one of 'em." (post 98 in this thread - yes, I re-read your posts), so I assume you arent happy with this solution either. Not that all of them do, though thats a matter of perception. And yes, breasts and hips can signify sex, but dont necessarily have to. Women have breasts, hourglass figures (which i dont like in minifigs), and fuller lips, so naturally as minifigs get more detailed, so do these characteristics. Its the same for male figs: do you think the evolution from Norman_Osborn to the Surfer is a sexualization of the male minifig? Because I only see it as minifigs becoming more detailed over time. Not that they have to, as seen on the Bavarian girl, but when they are more detailed, like the pirate wench, its quite a big step to say it presents an overly or unduly sexualized image. I never stated my opinion as fact. No need for strawman arguments, or even to assume this if there is more than one interpretation. I think we all know this is all about opinions. And I simply think feminism has more important issues to deal with, and making this one of them devalues feminism. I would think the onus is on you to argue why this is such an issue. Do you have any evidence about the offending minifigs causing any emotional damage or self-esteem issues in kids? I never said you wanted to remove all feminine signifiers, just asking whether you thought that was a good solution. I asked about solutions again because your suggestions of more female figs or more varied figs dont address the problem you raised about sexualization of the female figs. More variety means that alongside minifigs with less makeup and no breast print, there would be figs with make-up and printed breasts. So the problem of sexualization as you see it would remain. Before that, you said "The eyes are always quite enough to identify a fig as female." (still post 98) I agree with this, and wouldnt mind if the designer dropped all other feminine signifiers. But thats a question of aesthetic for me, not a societal problem.

He means the Sauron in the DGB set: True, but its still a Sauron fig. And honestly, I think we all knew that a prologue set was only wishful thinking, even if LotR had three waves. But yes, a DoS Sauron would probably have solved this issue.

I would add my voice to shepherds crook, and a bacon tile (a +x2 tile would be enough, i think, 1x3 seems too long compared to a minifig). Of a lower priority than my first post are: - hair + visor mold (as used tennis players, newsmen, croupiers, etc. – with short + long hair variants) - dragoon helm And of course existing parts in new colors, like the gnome cap (in red! liberty/revolution MOCs!), TLM sheriff moustache, Shakespeare head+hairpiece, butcher cap (military colors), and clown pie.

Exactly the point. You also can see "whatever you want", that doesnt make it a valid point. You should explain exactly why it goes further than gender differentiation, i.e. why make-up, hips and breasts are more than just to distinguish gender and why they signify "selling sex". And theres no need to get defensive. I believe feminism still has a positive role to play in righting plenty of problems, but this is not one of them. Making lifeguards in swimsuits and Islander in traditional wear isnt selling sex. Now THIS would be a concern worth dimissing. The Licensed themes maybe, but thats not really TLGs fault. Yes, but how would you fix this? I fully agree with more female figs and more variety, as you say, but dont you also have concerns with the figs that exist? How would you address that? No lipstick, eyelashes, breasts, or hips? I personaly would gladly lose the hips, but if all this went, how would you distinguish female figs to know TLG is improving the ratios? Like I said, there must be SOME way for TLG to present a figs as clearly female, since the minifigs are getting more detailed. At least one characteristic. Or do you think gender-ambiguous figs are the answer?

The only sexualization I see is gender differentiation. Sure, you can argue (I dont know whether you are, Im just exploring different options here) that TLG should keep the minifigs as gender-neutral as possible and not differentiate, but this is the way TLG is going, with more and more detailed minifigs. At some point the combination of super-datailed prints with simple generic smiley faces would look weird or goofy. So gender differentiation is pretty much a given. This is very far from sexualization as in "selling sex". The only instaces of this that Im aware of are licensed figs like slave Leia or the PotC mermaids, where the designers are restricted by the license. Other cases are figs like the CMF lifeguards, who naturally wear form-fitting swimwear, or historical figs (say female pirates or islanders, or even the CMF hula girl), where the designers give them clothing that are stereotypically associated with these characters, so customers can recognize instantly what the set is about. So since all minifigs have the same body shape, there is no easy way for TLG to tranplant the subtle differences between real-life males and females onto minifigs. They have to do SOMETHING to differentiate, either through lipstick (and bear in mind that it doesnt have to be lipstick, just feminine fuller lips) or eyelashes or breasts or hips for females, or facial hair or cleft chins or bushier eyebrows for males. So how would you solve this? And why arent you protesting facial hair or cleft chins or prominent eyebrows on male figs as much as these secondary or tertiary sexual characteristics on female figs?

After learning on this site about the trademark protection issues, I generally go the extra mile and write LEGO in all caps. If TLG considers it important, its the least I can do. Though Im not civic-minded enough to write LEGO®.

Some good ideas here... Id also like to see Heroica translated into a minifig-scale theme (especially for the orc and barbarian prints), and redoing older themes is even better, providing the designers dont change the heraldry, like the Falcon from the Joust set. Though I wouldnt mind defering Castle to a Pirate line for one year, seeing how rarely TLG does Pirates. Or a Wild West theme for that matter. As far as licenses go, I would have thought that HTTYD is perfect for licensing (kid-friendly, with lots of swooshable dragons...), though its to late for that now (unless TLG pics up the license in time for the 3rd instalment). I dont see the pont of wishing for a fleshie non-licensed theme, since that is precisely what TLG wants to avoid (well, except for the LEGO movie sets). Though I guess that if a wider color palette with a fleshie option had been chosen in the olden days of LEGO instead of the decision to focus on a few primary colors, minifigs would have been flesh-colored from the get-go.

I cant imagine TLG touching the American Civil War. It was a real-life conflict, whose consequences live on to this day. Which means the morality of both sides is nuanced, thus making it unsuitable for TLGs style of conflict. TLG prefers fictional conflict with rather unambiguous good vs bad sides. How would TLG handle it? No one in their right mind would make the Confederates the good guys because of the slavery issue, and making them the bad guys would kick off a storm in the US South far worse than the Friends or Jabba Palace "controversies". And any attempt to avoid making either side good or bad would kick off another storm by progressive and civil rights groups accusing TLG or relativising slavery and the war. The same would happen if TLG released a standalone Confederacy subtheme or set or even a lone CMF, portrayed in a positive or neutral way, like for example sidestepping the slavery issue. And for the record, I would agree with such criticism. I find it as unlikely as TLG tackling the crusades, or the World Wars, or any real-life war, actually. The most I would hope for is a Western theme with a bandit wearing grey vaguely militaristic clothing. I always wondered though, are there any Civil War toy soldiers sold in the US? Like your classic green plastic soldiers, or cowboys and indians, but specifically Civil wWr. I dont remember seeing any when I lived in the States...

Here is an image from The Brothers Brick, the same one AyliffeMakit posted on page 18. I hope its OK to post it and it doesnt violate any anti-leak policy. Im surprised pics arent all over the place already. If its clean, could someone with the proper authority post this in the first post of this thread? AyliffeMakits p18 pic doesnt show up for me anymore and it would be useful to have this pic up for reference. the webpage address: http://www.brothers-...ifigs-revealed/

What a strange video. At least the last one was very well done, IMO, whatever the message. Hopefully, the Greenpeace folks will develop their kids imaginations by buying them lots of the new Arctic sets!

"You can't always get what you want. Live with it." is a nice philosophy, but why cant people raise these points if they them see a problem? Anyone is perfectly within their rights to be frustrated with this random inaccessibility of certain figs, and to raise the issue here, since its an issue involving LEGO and opinions - and thats what a forum on LEGO is about. Im sure this experience is common even in people above 7 years old and it does not in any way imply an inablility to move on with their lives.

Not really, since the exosuit has dark bley parts. Next to those sets, it would look like made of various bits of scrap metal. Not to mention its much more heavily greebled, which might add to the scrap metal look compared to the sleeker, simpler lines of these sets, but that but be chalked up to a more modern take on the theme.

But this would probably ensure failure of the line. It would just be so boring compared to what TLG is offering these days - no factions to root for or try to overcome, no unique characters to identify with, no clear conflict to grab the kids attention... Not saying the classic formula was bad, I would love a bigger emphasis on exploration rather than conflict. But I say the onus should be on us to MOC/MOD the stuff we dont like, rather than on TLG or the kids to make or get stuff that suits us rather than the target audience. Much better for TLG to release a theme they know that works for kids today, and AFOLs can switch the faces or mod whatever they want. So long as we get builds in the right colors, as well as new parts and minifigs with the CS print.