JesseNight

Just hype for a new tech to boost sales. Pretty normal thing to happen because people's interest can die out without innovation. And innovation is never without risk. Not sure what's going on about them releasing it in so few countries though... Did they ever explain that?

I've never made the transition to SNOT building. I do a lot more stud coverage and smooth surfaces for sure, just preferring to keep them facing up

Might as well remove the oxygen tanks too then And speaking of living room rugs... That dish under the small flying craft better be a functional vacuum cleaner then Jokes aside, I've always been more for keeping it realistic within the possibilities of what we have. I probably would have replaced it with a toolkit or something. I didn't like the lack of helmet visors either but I can't decide if I like Futuron better for this or not, considering how obviously their helmets look like motorcycle ones while classic space helmets look like astronaut ones. They have the holes to attach visors, we just never had any good astronaut ones for them afaik. Who knows, maybe some day someone will 3D print some good ones. Nice how you stayed consistent in the design with the last vehicle. Small question, the vehicle it's based on has this communications station on the back. That fence like piece on the side, what part is that?

Absolutely. I think Barracuda Bay is a marvelous set, being able to be either the bay with shipwreck or a full ship that's winking back to the classic pirate ship from 1989. I don't like all the licenses either... It's the time we live in now. Licenses are guaranteed income. Even some movie studios only accept sequels and spinoffs on existing successful licenses rather than taking a risk on an original new idea.

I like this too. Subtle modernization respecting the old style and sets as they were. Have to agree about the radio brick being out of place. Sound waves cannot transfer through the void of space after all.

Isn't that the case? I remember even builds based on past in-house themes weren't accepted. Then again I haven't been following the Ideas submissions closely.

The time a rechargeable battery lasts depends a lot of how it is treated during its lifetime. Rechargeable batteries allow a limited number of recharging cycles, each time you plug in the charger counts as one. Therefore recharging too often when not needed, is not a good thing. Letting them run completely empty is also a bad thing. Long term storage is possible with half a charge (both empty and full state are stressful on a battery). Of course the state of that charge would have to be checked once in a while if it's very long term. Exposure to extreme temperatures is also pretty bad for batteries. I do hope too that these bricks allow battery replacement, I just wouldn't be surprised if they don't. I think it was possible with those light bricks with built-in batteries, just had to be very careful. Personally I hate batteries, first thing I always try is find a way to connect it to a power chord. As for custom or irreplaceable battery units in general, that's just how things are manufactured for profit, to make people buy new stuff instead of sticking to old stuff because they can. And yes that's sadly at the cost of the environment, because waste is good for business. We all know we have to reduce waste, yet we do the exact opposite because once we're at work, profit comes before all else. That might in the end not be different for TLG.

Picking just one is hard, but I think I have to agree with the TS. Expert Builder (early Technic) was definitely one of the big ones, as well as the foundation of Technic as we know it. Even though I'm not always happy with the current state of it. I loved it in the 80s and first half of the 90s, when axles/pins and technical stuff mixed well with classic studs building. Nowadays with the studless liftarms, it's a bit too much on the pins for me (but things do end up looking better). But yeah, Technic was born from this and is still standing strong today, both as its own thing and as sturdy frames for other themes' larger and more complex builds. The minifigure is definitely a great one too, I don't think I have to go into a lot of detail on that one. I wouldn't lean towards themes and licenses. They come and go, that's how it's always been. Same will likely happen with the smart brick, just like previous technological integrations. It may fade, or it may stay, but it won't change Lego forever (unless it makes them stray away from the core of being building blocks).

I see good and bad, and it definitely won't change Lego "forever" because nothing lasts forever. They're just throwing around the word "smart" a bit too much nowadays, guess everybody thinks that's cool? It doesn't seem all that smart, motion detection and optical sensors aren't exactly new. I'm glad they at least kept it app free. Other than that, the mixed reactions bring me back to the mid 1980s when 9V Light & Sound made its first appearances. That had a lot of mixed reception too. And yeah the sound was quite horrible I see with the new smart brick that part won't be a whole lot better bc there's simply no room for a good solution.

Most likely smart brick yeah, perhaps some new AI stuff behind it. Nothing that interests me tbh

I'm on the opposite end. I stopped with Lego around 1995-1996, I never knew there was new grey and brown until 2 years ago. First time I heard about it was... confusing. I'm okay with there being new colors, as well as light and dark shades. It just feels a bit too much at times, sometimes having trouble telling 2 shades apart that are really close. And I know I'm not the only one, having seen threads on this board about the exact same thing before.

I guess that's the exact problem I've been running up against. I need more figures for my 80s and early 90s space themes and I guess some are just too unique to their specific themes. And yes next to the cheap prices of common bricks, I consider a few Eur/Usd per minifig a lot when needing a good amount. The more rare colors of course get even crazier. I don't mind some minimal wear, to me that adds to realism of a scene. But of course icons on a torso do need to be recognizable as such.

Very nice build, love the portal and how you mixed those different color shades in the scene.

I actually remember I had some small rowboats from the Pirate theme that were red, but the oars were definitely brown. Guess the rowboat must have existed in more colors. Really? Because flowers and trees were included with so many things in about every theme. Except Space, probably Here's another unpopular opinion following up the minifigs & minidolls discussion: I kinda hate minifigs, and I always have. As a kid, the bad proportions always annoyed the hell outta me. And nowadays I hate them for being way too expensive for what they really are (older figs from late 80s and early 90s themes).

People don't like change enforced upon them, especially if it's changing something that was good as it was. It takes getting used to, and many always seem to jump the gun when such things are announced. Fleshies had much more going on than being just a change. How long in human life have differences in skin color been at the base of conflict? Personally I never liked the old yellow heads, despite it being the norm at my peak of my active Lego years in the mid to late 1980s. I really like the fleshies, but with the different skintones I gotta pay attention to keeping heads and hands sorted per color, and pay attention to chest pieces with an open collar that show some skin. I do. Brown was barely even used in my prime days, it was just coming up with the first barrels, treasure chests, tree trunks, and pirate ship hulls. Same with green, just baseplates, flower stems, and trees. There were only 6 building colors in those days. And still I'd never have enough of any of them for bigger projects Friends focusses way more on the fun parts of life. Playgrounds, vacation homes, party settings, leisure activities. City/Town seems to focus more on daily life stuff like various work environments, various emergency services, some racing, and trains. I think Friends has a more laid back fun coverage for sure. I don't know how it is nowadays with kids, but in my time the Friends themes would probably have appealed mostly to girls (majority of Friends figures are girls too), where City/Town would attract more boys.

Correct, the GT-86 was the first generations here in EU. And the newer generation was dubbed the GR-86. This looks clearly more like a GT-86 to me. (and if we wanna go all the way on the model numbers, the FT-86 was the concept car)

Totally agree, however I settled for just the Galaxy Explorer in that lineup, found the other 2 rather expensive already. I won't deny that they offer a lot for the money, just wasn't a good time to be spending that much. Sadly they're only gonna get more expensive. Then again I need space for other things too at home. I like setting up something bigger than a single ship or building and since Space always was my favorite theme, I'm going for 80s Space all the way, maybe extending somewhat into the early 90s. Blacktron 1 (Galaxy) Explorer is getting close to realization, happy with most of the digital design and parts appear to be available and affordable. TBC! Dropped the plan for a mothership size Galaxy Explorer version for now (too expensive and too big for my current space). As for Star Wars... I like the franchise but in Lego it just doesn't appeal to me. I'd be more tempted to go for highly detailed models for something like that (if at all).

SP1 and BT1 are my absolute favorites, both ships and minifigs. I love the BT2 colors too, but it didn't feel right for them to carry the name "Blacktron" imho. Had it been another working/mining/science division in between M-Tron and Ice Planet, it would have worked a lot better for me.

To people of our generations and older perhaps. Don't forget the development and marketing required on in-house themes costs effort and money too. And they take a risk. If people end up not liking it, the investment is lost. With licensed themes, they already know in advance whether it's liked or not. Maybe the money investment costs a bit more, but the income is pretty much guaranteed as long as the execution isn't messed up. As for recycled movies... yeah I hate that too. But again, it seems to work on the masses. Besides, hasn't that always been a thing? Didn't we watch "new movies" in the 90s that our parents told us were remakes already? Of course this knowledge about past movies was a lot less in our faces in the pre-internet days It's probably getting harder to keep fans. Old school fans may not have an interest in newer themes and licensed franchises, younger fans may lose interest fast in playing with actual physical bricks irl. (but props to parents who keep encouraging this instead of just putting a smartphone or tablet in the hands of their 3 years old)

Good points. The mid 80s wheel change was also about getting rid of the fixed metal axle and switching to those plastic clipped on wheels, in combination with a lot of Town vehicle maintenance/repair releases following (garages, roadside assistance vehicles). (I can imagine this also taking care of possible rust problems when parts would get wet from playing outdoors)

Let's not forget that this is a thread with "unpopular opinions" rather than complaints, therefore disagreements are to be expected I understand both sides here, I've been in both camps. I generally prefer printed parts for sure, but it has happened to me as a kid that I was annoyed about having some silly print on a part that I really wished having bare to use in a completely different setting. And this was in the 80s, so not a time to just order a missing piece on BL yet. The point of stickers in this example is obviously about having a choice whether or not to use it.

That's what I remember them from too: windmills and larger scale helicopter blades (probably Ideas Books content). Weren't they like belt driven in windmill builds? [Edit] Yeah they were with the universal 4.5V kit, that contained the belt as well as those wheels with the metal pin in them. That pin was to plug it directly into the motor unit: While we're going about studs on wheels... I've been wondering the same thing since childhood about this one: These classic Town (early 80s) minifig car wheels were stuck on a metal axis as far as I could tell, giving them hardly any other possible purpose. And they got this 1 stud right in the middle.

The baby scale never appealed to me, and I wanna keep everything in the same scale. I love the GE too. I still consider getting some more since I've seen some awesome bigger builds of it (but space at home might become an issue), and a Blacktron version would be very possible too with the same canopies and the new Renegade's computer tiles. I'd love to see a remake of the Space Police Mission Commander. I loved that ship (but never owned it), and I loved the SP1 color theme. It had some unique functionality with the buggy riding out the front, but that can be done a lot better nowadays (maybe even using some Technic) without wasting as much space, creating passenger space for more officers and/or a mission control center in the middle. @SpacePolice89 I remember that SP1 monorail train from the Ideas Book, I just wasn't a fan. I tend to be very strict on using the right colors for factions and a white motor car in a SP1 train just bugs the hell outta me. Odd they didn't at least use the black battery box from the SP1 Striker. Thought of a prisoner transport train but the universal cells are too big for my taste. Maybe an M-Tron transport for workers and tools. I agree with the GE and Renegade being among the best sets during the last years. Can't say I feel that way about the cruiser, I'm finding the old one superior.

@SpacePolice89 Interesting what you say about the cables... Because the cable on your picture isn't the original cable of that set already either. The 6990 first Monorail was the only set with cable part 5306ac015 where the 2x2 connectors were only 1/3th brick thick. Every other set using this system got the newer cable 5306bc015 with 2/3th thick connectors that I see on your picture. I'm going black & white on the Monorail train but I suppose it can be done all black as well. I just really love the taller canopies from M-Tron and Space Police, that's why I decided on the Blacktron II color scheme. That also made complete coverage of the white motor car less mandatory (but in the end I still succeeded in covering it decently well). I wanted to stick as close as possible to the original train model, aside from a slightly elevated studless roof (which allows me to hide the cable and power button), and the longer front end because of the canopy, as well as the taller side windows that exist in neon green. Luckily the battery box exists in black from the Space Police ship that had the 9V flashlights.

I'm in the middle of building the tuxedo cat right now after getting it for Christmas. When I'm done, probably gonna build it in Stud.io to make a parts list for an all black version, so it looks like my own cat. Got some 3D printed whiskers to go with it too. (on a side note, kinda wish the cheerful cat from the December Lego ads was for sale too) Also trying to do some more serious modding to the Icons Delorean, and some subtle details to the Icons ECTO-1. @SpacePolice89Did you do any modding to the monorail set or keeping it as is? It's one of my favorites too now and I was lucky to get it as a kid (considering how expensive it was). Ironically I didn't appreciate it as much back then, because I was really interested in the bigger spaceships at the time (still wanna do that mod I did in Stud.io to build it with the taller canopies, probably in BT2 color scheme)