Still Raindrop

Thanks, everyone! Ooh, that's a good idea--I think I'll have to add one! Thank you! I agree. I'm very happy with the sloping front part of the roof (I looked at several different midcentury modern tiki bars and found that kind of angled slope on many; I think I captured it pretty well), but I'm not really as happy with the rest of it. I think I'll continue to tweak it for a while.

The residents of Redbrick Springs may live in a mountain town thousands of miles away from the nearest ocean, but that doesn't mean that they can't enjoy all the midcentury modern fun of a tiki bar! Well, in this case, a tiki juice bar: the Kahuka Lounge. Here is the exterior: Here are some interior shots. Note the Polynesian and ocean/island-inspired decorations all throughout: The bar: Ice machine, blenders, juicer, fruit, and sink: More fruit, juices, and a cup-holding tiki: The owner of the Kahuka Lounge is mysterious; some say he's impossibly old. However, if you know the right people, you can get an invitation to his rooftop hot tub.

You could always pretend that they're a chain! I've seen two Starbucks stores within a city block or two of each other. That's it! I knew it looked familiar. I used to have family in Kansas City (in fact, that's where I was born)--that's the square with the Neptune fountain, right? It definitely bears some resemblance. As you mention, the Lego buildings are less Mediterranean, but the feel is similar. That's cool!

Oops--I'm sorry, I didn't mean to misrepresent you. I guess that's what I get for going off of memory (from what must have been quite some time ago--a year, perhaps, or more?). Sorry about that! I agree that it would be nice to return to slightly higher buildings. I've appreciated the smaller ones--they create a nice varied skyline, and my two-story creations don't look quite so out of place when there's a wider variation of building sizes. But since the DO, the BB, and the PS are the only ones I have, I'm hoping that the variety can be improved in an upwards way. Similarly, the size/width variation that the multi-business model can give is something I enjoy, particularly when it makes my display feel more "real." Take the laundromat, for example. I will admit that it does diminish the grandeur of the bank. But I like how it makes it appear as though the bank has expanded, buying the room above the laundry and connecting it to the rest of the bank for use as the president's office. It's certainly a trade-off, though, and there are no two ways about that. Anyway, sorry again for misrepresenting you. I look forward to the reveal of the new modular--and to hearing your thoughts on it!

Technically true; the Pet Shop was just one business with one residential building, but it was still not only one building with only one business. Two businesses, two buildings. I wouldn't mind such an even split again. I don't think that it's necessary to speculate about a multi-business combo. It's happened twice in a row, but that's not necessarily indicative of a permanent change--just a trend. After many buildings with similar footprints, it makes sense that the designers would want to work in a little variety to avoid feeling stale. There's a good chance that it'll be a multi-business combo, but I'd say it's not a guarantee by any means. It is likely, however, to have some of the other things you dislike about the direction the modular line has been going, such as a smaller height (compared to GG, TH, etc.), a story, and a more detailed interior. I like those--I feel like detailed interiors improve the look even when viewing from outside; it adds to the feel of something being "real" when we can catch glimpses of furniture, rugs, etc., through windows, but it's understandable why some don't.

Very nice! The exterior looks great; I love the touch of color that the roof adds. The inside is lovely as well. There's a longstanding local outdoor shop in my town, and the interior of the MOC reminds me of this store.

Nice! As a Beatles fan, I'm excited for this--they look just like the cartoon.

Very nice--it captures the same feel of some of the ski stores I've seen in Breckenridge. I particularly like the way you did the door/entryway.

It could also be Charles Dickens....

I'd love to see a return of Adventurers; I think that Johnny Thunder, as a globe-trotting adventurer, is versatile enough to drive all kinds of early-20th-century themes. And unlike, say, Jake Raines, JT has been around for enough subthemes to be iconic. However, I recently heard somewhere that Orient Expedition sold poorly (despite being, in my opinion, the best Adventurers subtheme). If that's the case, I can see why they'd be hesitant to bring him back full-time. Plus, it has been 12 years since the last regular Adventurers sets, so I'm guessing the nods in places like the Lego Movie are as much as we'll get. Which is a shame, as similarly updated character designs would be great.

I still doubt the veracity of this rumor. I think it was this time last year when everyone was certain we were getting an arcade.

I think this actually makes such a building less likely. It's fans who would want an inverted corner (some fans--I wouldn't). But a potential buyer who sees only minimal façade with two big walls lacking detail might not feel the same. I'm a parent as well as a fan; I don't think kids are as drawn to a tiny façade and minimal sidewalk as they are to a building that has plenty of front-facing design features. I feel the same way. As a standalone set, to avoid displaying it with blank walls showing, you'd have to display the back end frontwards.

You already covered most of this, but here's part of a post I made in the other topic. In addition to being a Bionicle fan (from 2001 to mid-2004, then again starting in 2009), I'm also a parent. My kids aren't quite old enough to play with non-Duplo Lego yet, but I've already thought over how I as a parent would react. So, here's the post. 1. Price/Size. Though my kids are too young for Bionicle, this would also apply to how I as a parent would operate if my kids asked for something. The original Toa were $7--and they had mostly new molds, plastic canisters, and mini-CDs. By the time the Glatorians came around (the year I got back into the theme after entering my Lego dark ages in late 2004), that had increased to $13. The $7 of the original Toa and the $8 of the Nuva and Metru put these squarely into the realm of an impulse but. For me, the cutoff is around $10. For example, I bought 6217 Surge on a whim at $9 (followed by Splitface, who was pricier, but he went well with Surge, whom I had already bought). This is something I appreciated about Hero Factory: they downsized the hero figures and bright the price down too--I prefer slightly smaller figures anyway. Given inflation, $15 was a decent price for the new smaller Toa. But it still put them out of the impulse buy category, at least for me. I had to really think about whether I wanted a Toa or whether I could use the $15 on tea or other Lego. And with the exception of 2015 Gali and 2016 Onua, the other stuff won out. I did buy a Protector on an impulse, though. Still, having the main heroes so inaccessible really didn't seem to work so well. 2. The lack of CDs--or an equivalent. For at least the first few years, the canister sets came with those mini CDs. I know those wouldn't be practical now, but something similar would have been nice--maybe a website code. I know I spent lots of time exploring the lore, layout, and feel of Mata Nui from those mini CDs. That kind of immersive experience that helps with worldbuilding and is tied to a purchase really helped those early years, I think.

Duplex--I know I'm going to use my 2016 Onua as Onua Nuva who has settled into crystal caves deep in Spherus Magna; the crystal motif and Nuva symbol work great for adaptive armor. So, G2 can have some G1 use, too.

They probably won't be too high, as Bionicle isn't in too high demand. You can even find Toa Mata for a reasonable price.

Wow. I remember being on vacation in Oregon almost exactly two years ago. Because I was new at my job and hadn't racked up vacation days, I had to work remotely for part of the time. One day I booted up my computer and checked Eurobricks only to find news that Bionicle was returning, alongside the grainy black-and-white photo. Not long after, the grainy color photo came along. I was ridiculously excited. I was 12 when Bionicle came out--on the older end of the target audience--but I loved it. I was going through a tough time, and I'd never encountered anything like it. I remember there was a line about blending the mystical and the mechanical, and that thrilled me. Now I'm not just a (casual) fan, but also a parent. As such, I didn't get as many G2 sets (not even close!), but I did get a few, and followed the story as much as I could. I've seen a lot of ideas people have had over why it failed--some have more merit than others (the idea that no effort went into it is silly). Here are a few that I haven't seen mentioned. 1. Price/Size. Though my kids are too young for Bionicle, this would also apply to how I as a parent would operate if my kids asked for something. The original Toa were $7--and they had mostly new molds, plastic canisters, and mini-CDs. By the time the Glatorians came around (the year I got back into the theme after entering my Lego dark ages in late 2004), that had increased to $13. The $7 of the original Toa and the $8 of the Nuva and Metru put these squarely into the realm of an impulse but. For me, the cutoff is around $10. For example, I bought 6217 Surge on a whim at $9 (followed by Splitface, who was pricier, but he went well with Surge, whom I had already bought). This is something I appreciated about Hero Factory: they downsized the hero figures and bright the price down too--I prefer slightly smaller figures anyway. Given inflation, $15 was a decent price for the new smaller Toa. But it still put them out of the impulse buy category, at least for me. I had to really think about whether I wanted a Toa or whether I could use the $15 on tea or other Lego. And with the exception of 2015 Gali and 2016 Onua, the other stuff won out. I did buy a Protector on an impulse, though. Still, having the main heroes so inaccessible really didn't seem to work so well. 2. The lack of CDs--or an equivalent. For at least the first few years, the canister sets came with those mini CDs. I know those wouldn't be practical now, but something similar would have been nice--maybe a website code. I know I spent lots of time exploring the lore, layout, and feel of Mata Nui from those mini CDs. That kind of immersive experience that helps with worldbuilding and is tied to a purchase really helped those early years, I think.

The Munsters was also in black and white.

If it's not a hospital, I'd really like a pair of townhouses. Although I doubt that's likely, since the Pet Shop is still available. Hmmm.

I checked the Colorado Springs Target (one of them) last night. They had taken the Disney series down, but nothing is up in their place yet. I'm headed to the Lego store this weekend; here's hoping I can find a hiker (I imagine it'll be one of the most popular ones here in Colorado). And maybe a spy, a mariachi musician, and a babysitter. Ooh, speaking of the mariachi musician: I wonder what this will mean for all those who inexplicably called the maraca player from S2 a "mariachi." I expect it won't mean much for most people who used that term, but Brickset will face an interesting choice. Do they rename the minifigure correctly to Maraca Man? Or do they keep it the same, knowing people will be confused when they search for the actual mariachi musician?

Ahhh, I see what you mean. Yes, you're probably right (although I think a more specialized role like an archaeologist, anthropologist, or museum curator might still work. I doubt it'll happen, but if CMF continues indefinitely....)

I think that's just a generic explorer rather than a reworking of a specific character. While the spy has most of Dash's characteristics (eyebrow shape, spiky brown hair, outfit details, etc.) with some updates and additional features, the explorer really doesn't have many of Kilroy's characteristics (glasses, sideburns, suspenders, bow tie, etc.).

Wow--I wasn't going to get the spy, but then I realized that it's Dash. That has to be a first for the CMF series, right? I know it's had tons of homages, but never a redesign of an old, named character that I can remember. This just made me realize how much I'd love a Dr. Kilroy CMF (if Adventurers aren't returning with their own line of sets, that is). There have been enough pieces to make a good updated Pippin Reed (like Misako's torso from Ninjago, and a few different headpieces), but Kilroy is a little trickier. He would benefit hugely from back printing. Anyway.

As a hiker myself, I absolutely cannot wait for the hiker minifig. Only the second I'll buy multiples of on purpose (first was the Tiki warrior).

Hi, everyone. This is a little wordy, but there's a tl;dr at the end. I've noticed that the Creator line has had some pretty cool minifigure-scale animals lately, from the dog of 31010 Treehouse and the seagulls of 5770 Lighthouse Island to the moose of 30148 Lakeside Lodge and the bear of 31052 Vacation Getaways. As I built the bear especially, I realized that I prefer brick-built animals. They have a lot of character, and can be posed more easily (or built in different static poses that look dynamic). What's more, they allow for greater variety without being limited by molds. My city now has several different breeds of dog, as well as crows, pigeons, parrots, and parakeets (I have the modular pet shop). However, there are some brick-built animals, such as cats, that I haven't yet mastered. Does anyone have any pictures of particularly good brick-built minifigure-scale animals? I'm looking for inspiration everywhere. Tl;dr: Please share photos of minifigure-scale brick-built animals of all varieties! PS--I hope this is in the right place. Since it's town-related, minifigure-scaled, and all the Creator animals I mention are in the houses sets, I figured it would work here.

I have to say, I loved Onua. He was everything I had hoped he would be.