WaysofSorting

I think it's a tough question - I voted specific because when the Castles lean toward that direction I'm happier- but it's hard to articulate why. I agree - I too grew up in the 80s and my all time favorite faction is the "Black Falcons" (though mine are now in space - but that's not germane to this discussion...) and the wolfpack, dragon riders, forestmen - they all have their places too. Are they specific or Generic? If they count as Generic, I answered incorrectly. The argument in my mind is that when the Castle theme sways to Generic (I feel like it is right now) they sway it too far and it gets watered down...like the demographic is "younger" or at least more basic than say, Ninjago or Chima. I think this makes sense...that Castle in a way is more generic by its nature as it fills a different, more traditional, product niche - the one that exists in the higher-priced "educational" toy stores that people without kids go to buy gifts for their friends' children's birthdays. Castle fits there because anyone walking into the store will see it and recognize it and be comfortable knowing what they are getting. They don't have to ask the clerk what a speedorz is or why the fat troll is blue and one big piece. And if a kid likes knights...well, you get the idea. I think a question that is more appropriate, is how specific do we want the Archetypes? Is the castle line populated by heroes or by warring armies of no-named soldiers? Are there wizards and kings and elves or farmers and blacksmiths and jesters? Are they dirty and "realistic", or clean and idealized? Each line has had its mix of each. I really like the current green/black dragon motif...but the sets themselves sort of don't speak to me. I liked it better when there was a leaning of the line towards battling Necromancy or Orcs or Dwarves. But I can see how the current line fits a role better than those. Right now by keeping Castle Generic, it keeps Castle from stepping into the toes of LOTR. Once the Hobbit and LOTR are finished, though, I could see them making more specific a theme out of it again... Either way, I like my Castle figs with Yellow skin and forever will.

These leaked Homer and Flanders figs are great. I agree that the heads look a bit large...but just like Iron Man, I think figures "in hand" will not dissapoint. Doing the Simpsons makes so much sense. One - the longest running American Primetime scripted series ever. Everyone who loves LEGO, whether a crusty old AFOL, a punk-of-a-Tween-FOL, or just a kid who doesn't know the "labels" but loves a good build ---they've all had the chance to see the Simpsons. Not to mention they've been syndicated in, like, ALL the languages. In some ways this license makes more sense than Hockey or the NBA. Both of those have some global reach. But the Simpsons reaches out to humanity. I, for one, can't wait to see the iconic opening sequence rendered in LEGO. Also, they are yellow. I would have preferred a "this sculpted head fits over the minifig head" approach, but I knew it wouldn't happen. But I have to say, I don't care...I may not have seen an episode of the show in years, and I may not buy but one or two blind bags...but Mr. Burns or Lenny, or Marge or whoever I happen to get...they'll always have a spot at Jabba's table. (My collection thrives on apocrypha!)

I agree - reminiscent of the NASA crawler. But that thing just goes back and forth on a controlled, flat surface. This one looks like it can take on more rugged terrain. I hope it is a launch-platform,though - but for what?

Thanks for the review - Good highlights of the set and all its pieces and strong argument for getting the Minifig through the speedorz sets. I see them often for 10 bucks on clearance - is this a good deal, even assuming I won't use the zip-wheel engine? Or will I not be able to resist sending it down the hallway? If I were heavily invested in Chima (I really like them and think all the design choices Lego Made were solid, but I don't own many sets) I would certainly get this set -

Great job - I enjoy the cracked ice and snowy trees. The fortress is appropriately epic and imposing, and the viking has great detail for scale. Thanks for sharing.

Nice review. I will definitely be getting one to distribute at the office holiday party, and then probably one or two for myself (for the extra letters) - What I really need to build on my desk is a "cell phone propper upper" They could also make an "Executive Name Plate" set with larger letters on 2x2 tiles. I'd buy that too!

Great indepth illustration into your design process. I like the decision making you've used to "transliterate" the Troll Style into 80's classic modularity. I too would love to see this in ABS. Good luck building and I hope to see more updates.

Yes, very nice - can you give us some more specifics, like total cost or dimensions or anything? Is there any finish on the wood and, if so, "wood" you share it? (so bad). I like the way the tan works with the color of the wood. Did you try any other combos?

Ben, Thanks for giving some insight to the project - it clearly is a labor you've put a lot of work into and I'm glad you're here to answer questions. There's still time to win over old curmudgeons like myself and your explanation and the Flickr page go a long way in doing so. Especially in illustrating how the parts interact, and some of the images of the "Gangs of Neon City" landscape really help sell the vision. I do love mecha games and will yet back this, even if only for the rules. Will you be updating the site with a "playthrough video?" Please link it here if you do. Have you thought about just making the base pieces (The shield level indicator) available on their own? It seems like, from a "purist" builder point of view, that this is the piece that would be the only barrier to getting into the rules with my own parts. Also - you may have already sent it to this site, but http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com is always posting kickstarter projects and they have a "submit news" tab. Further, they are owned by the coolminiornot site, and get lots of web-traffic. Best!

I've not seen the new Turtles series. But I loved the old Black and White Comics. I know it's a pipe-dream to hope they might do some more "black and white variant" figures, but there are somethings that may fit: I'd like to see some new molds made just for the Mousers. And a big Mouser to battle with. From the playmates classic, yes Bebop and Rocksteady should be shoe ins, and Baxter/Fly version. There have been enough fan made Krang Giant Robots to suggest Lego should just do an official one... The turtles themselves have great cross genre synergy already - they live in City, they could go to toe with Chima or Ninjago. I wonder if we could get other fringe characters that would do the same? Like a trenchcoat wearing, incognito Raphael, or side license Usagi Yojimbo. Or yes, just send them all into space and have them meet the crazy triceratops headed guys. Whoever made those turtle heads with the white eyes - bravo, they look much better than the "out of the box" versions.

Clearly, I'm late to this party as it's now almost the middle of the Month, I'd never heard of this set until I was browsing Shop@home today, and I don't have any VIP points (are they worth signing up for?) The thanksgiving set is available at this time, so says the Lego site - I feel like I need to buy about sixty of these. I have a turkey leg to turkey body ratio of 1000:0 and hope to remedy that to some extent. Even though it's only 46 pieces for $7.99, I think it is a great deal.

Tremendous review, thanks. You did a great job showing all the important parts of this set and even though I won't be getting it, I'm glad to have tour of it first to make up my mind for me - I'd been on the fence for a while - unfortunately, I need to pass on this one. I want to want to buy this set - as a child one of my favorite Kenner Figs was Ree-yees and I'm glad to see him in Lego Form (though I agree...he's too happy as a minifig. Not at all like the morose and melancholy Gran of my youth). I already have the new Jabba from the Palace (for my money I would buy another one of those before I got this) and I have the old Jabba's palace, #4480 that gives me Leia (And yellow skinned at that!) so I see nothing new for me in this set. I, too, prefer the old Sail Barge. That said - I did get two of the Skiff this past go-around. I would like them to have a Barge to sail around, but I think I'll have to build it myself.

I don't like that the minifig arms have to come off on the torso to get it to work - that kills it for me - and I'll be passing. I like the basic premise - Mecha game that uses Lego, but that's about as far as I get. I'd rather just build the mechs like in Mobile Frame Zero using "regular" pieces. If the minifig is the focal point, I would change the theme to reflect that - less mechs and more Powered Exoskeleton. Is there a way to put more points for connections in the pieces? Are the connections that the Mecha uses for the arms usable with the LEGO system? Or just the feet and torso? Will there be custom parts for the landscape, and will they be system compatible? I want to get behind a theme like this, but not sure this is pressing the right buttons. It's a tough place to try and design for, even for the Lego Group. I remember not really liking the pieces in this set - http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=4790-1 - The "Agents" take on a yellow power suit. The minifig sat on there, not very incorporated to the "Leg" or foot or whatever it was. And the yellow robotic "hands" seemed off as well. Anyhow - good luck with the kickstarter and welcome to the forums. Maybe you can have your friend Ben answer some of the questions here and engage the community on the project's behalf.

Welcome to the forums - Wow. Definitely sounds like a daunting task - I look forward to seeing the updates and your design process - mainly...where do you find a workspace large enough? My main question - will you use the bley or hay-day old Grey?

Wow - thanks all for the wealth of useful links and ideas. Great thread, thanks for starting it @Off the Wall. I remember figuring out the "plates between studs" thing when I was a kid. A cheap way to make walls when I didn't have many bricks. So that's illegal because it causes stress on the pieces? More on the Plate side (the vertical piece) or the studs (the "horizontal" piece)? Just curious. Gah. Bad language - I hope that question makes sense - just wondering what point receives the most damage over time, if one is stronger than the other. I'm assuming the studs pinch the sides of the plate over time?

Great colorscheme. In my neighborhood, a car or bike that color is nature's way of saying "don't touch me and get out of my way." I'm betting in this guy's neck of the galaxy the same rule applies. Unless the pilot just stole it, in which case he broke the rule immediately. I like this MOC because it's so shiny and new and thus has the potential to be battle damaged...I'd love to see it "change hands" a few times after some impressive races or battles and see what each pilot does to repair and fix it. Just as an experiment, what happens when you reverse the slope of the front hood pieces, like flip them so the other side is facing front (so the small curve and yellow stripe are facing forward) - I'm wondering if it might fool the eye into thinking the front was bulkier.

Totally stoked to see your progress. I really enjoy when a MOC is so true to its subject matter that you forget that it's Lego. Here, I immediately see the Falcon for the first time in Mos Eisley and hear Luke's off hand remark, "What a piece of junk." Boy was he wrong - underneath I can see the history and attention to detail of a living ship being built and maintained by it's captain and copilot - in this case, you and your son! Keep it up - I think this will be awesome when you are done - can't wait to see what you do with the interior! (Side note - I'd never read the wookiepedia entry on the millenium falcon - fascinating stuff: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Millennium_Falcon)

Wow - Cheers Marcin! I've been enjoying your illustrations for the past year - The first I ever saw was this Ice Planet one and I've been hooked ever since. http://surmalegobros...lanet-2002.html Thanks for joining the forums here and I hope to see and hear more from you! {edit - "here" to "hear."}

@kingpixels - I know of some that have good results taking a printed part and soaking it briefly in a solvent like acetate or something. It smooths the edges out remarkably. @Sandmirror - Great job, I like the decal - I'd almost argue for making his hair even bigger... I can't say I read much of Tin Tin as a child, though as an adult I'm always envious of how amazing the art style is - of the detailed backgrounds working with the crisp lines of the characters. Very interesting comic. Didn't they just make a movie about this? OR it's in the works? I can't imagine anyone can "get it right." I anticipate a disaster...but that's just me.

I'm a fan of the rainbow repetitions of colors. I assume because when one goes through time, that happens? Whenever I think of Time travel and big space ships though, I think of that weird ending to that movie Ice Pirates...maybe I date myself as old at that point... [Edit -- just to include my endorsement for only having a back wall and no ceiling. Great display - reminds me of the old cutaway pics you'd see in popular mechanics or something. Really enjoying it.]

I would also really like to see a true mecha-based theme. Like, where all the 100 dollar sets were Awesome Giant walking robots and all the cheaper sets were beholden to them - mechanic bays and anti-mech traps and whatnot. Maybe each smaller set came with a "part" they were working on, that you could collect and build to make a larger mech. like entry level, 10 bucks, got you a hand and a mechanic. 20 bucks a leg and some "tech pirates." 30 bucks for a torso and a wayward pilot tavern. 60 bucks for the hangar and the head. Bonus if those things were usable on their own, Voltron style. or 120 dollars and you get a whole shiny mecha. Diesel punk/steam punk, Crisp Anime - whatever. I'd take this theme any day. (though I realize it may be better to just release lots of cheaper sets - like a variety of 25 dollar sets - Look at the upcoming DnD Kreos...the spring 2014 line looks to be cheap, aiming to make most of their sales on "blind packed" kreon-figs.) Other than that - Time travel sounds good. But way less cheesy than Time Twisters. Even with a 2015 update, I think Timmy will still be reviled.

I love the old catalogs and dioramas they used to have. I never blinked that parts were lego and parts were clearly not. I think there should be a term for when you are out of the Dark Ages, but then willingly revert back to some more innocent state - when a sheet could be water and the ocean doesn't necessarily have to be a bazillion 1x1 trans clear round studs. I love re-embracing LEGO as a child would, not really caring if I'm being Purist, or doing TPU, or what. Just telling a good story and being happy. That's what the catalogs mean to me. I never felt they were mis-representing anything or being dishonest trying to sell me anything or get me to give up my valuable information. They were honest displays of product, not some glossy soulless, overly-focus-grouped marketing ploy. And I would pour over them for hours. I'd love to see some "homages" to this being used to market the new LEGO Movie and sets. I don't need it in physical form - a downloadable wallpaper would do. Hear me, TLG? Get out your foam mountains and trees and instagram-filters. Sell it to us like in the olden days...

I think some social-type game, like "Draw with Friends" or something. Where you build something quickly - maybe even minor, and pass it along to see if it can be used to communicate an idea. Or maybe every day all players are given a "pile" of preselected parts. Then everyone builds something out of that same set and shares it. The next day same thing. So all you are doing is solving a little puzzle or doodling, or however you want to put it - browsing all the things other people made, and that's it. Like a little "mini Lab" for Lego. Nothing big. But with enough casual sticky power that everyone would be willing to "log in" once a day to get your parts and build. (But you better let me build off line) Great Mobile App potential. Or an awesome MMoRPG with customizable Lego characters that fight in a world made of bricks against an evil menace......oh never mind. They tried that. I never played the Lego Universe games, but I imagine that a "re-visioning" of it as a free-to-play with micro transactions and tradeable pieces in a shared sandbox world would go over well. Um, that would be great.

This is the second or third recent "modular build" I've seen that has been based on stacking floors (as opposed to like the moonbase or castle-wall builds which put baseplates next to one another). Great Idea. Love the plant floor for Poison Ivy. Post again when you've got more levels! Or make a building to compete against it - Judge Dredd Blockwars Style.

Awesome. Have you sourced out how much it would cost to build via Bricklink or something? Just curious...I guess at the magic price point "10 cents a piece" I can do the math myself.... Would totally dig having one of these on the wall.