Are reviews here dead? (hint, I think they are)

[cardensb]

This used to be my go to place for reading what others thought of sets before I bought one.  This site just does not get many reviews posted anymore.  It looks like I stopped bothering last year.

Where do you go for insights now? Youtube?  Discord?  The kid of that guy at work?

I have a few youtube channels I subscribe too now for information. I joined a lego discord channel but rarely go there, its not well organized if you want leaks, this is a better site for me to see info in advance of a release.

Designers critiques

Here are a few designer thoughts in case anyone here secretly works at lego.

1. All ships and playsets must have storage for the provided figure's weapons.  Add a bay, a box, some clips, don't have me toss the pilot's pistol into a ziplock..

2. Stud launchers suck.  you lose the stud when you accidentally bump it and only find it months later in the vacuum cleaner then wonder what it went too. the spring loaded launchers are no better but they are too big for the vacuum so they are lost forever.

3. Midi scale wish list - The Ghost in scale with last year's Falcon, a pirate corsair (Mando season), a rebel cargo transport with lots of gribbling on the bottom (ESB for example); Skeleton Crew's big pirate frigate.

Here are a few general thoughts on recent sets though.

Recent build thoughts

75402, ARC-170 ship.  I don't mind the smaller size..  I wish the set designers would have added some storage on the ship for the three pistols. 

75406 - Kylo's midi scale ship.  boring to build, boring to look at... although it looks like something Batman should own so maybe I can put it over by the bat mobiles.

75374 - onyx cinder; I'm not quite done yet but it clearly is the same type of set as Ahsoka's shuttle, looks fine without figures in or on it, figures barely fit.  Not anywhere in scale for figures.  Figures barely can be placed inside the common area on the seats, good luck using the bed or stove top area. I like the hidden storage area for the cookies and what not. I think I will like the engine titling feature when it is completely done. Whomever did the instructions forgot the technique of highlighting in the artwork what new pieces were added.  A bunch of grey blocks added to existing grey blocks just caused me to have to scrutinize the artwork looking for where the new grey block appears to be. The set has 12 bags, each little build only takes a few minutes per bag.  I don't know if I care one way or the other but when you have OCD and sort all the parts from the bag before starting. I have less sorting to do.  Printed parts should have been provided for areas like the cockpit windows.  trying to align stickers on compounded slants is miserable and does not look well when done. I liked the min-series and hope lego invests in some other sets - we need some of those pirates, the frigate even a playset with some family members and droids, I suppose.  We need Capt Silvo for sure, maybe an advent set?

 

[$20 on joe vs dan]

I've always known BL as a reseller's forum...so I just figured most of us throw sets for personal build on the backlog pile and never actually get around to building anything.

Damaged boxes or a set we buy again used because it's too valuable to break seals on the stock we have...

Anyway my backlog... if I was to drop everything, no eat or sleep, and only build non-stop...I would go through my backlog by the time I turn 100 years old.

[TheOrcKing]

YouTube, Eurobricks, then Brickset in that order when I am looking for reviews. I put Brickset dead last primarily due to the "ad attacks" I get from there. I do not remember the precise moment, but Brickset wasn't as bad as it is now with the ads flooding in everywhere. Afraid my computer is gonna contract an STD from just looking at the site sometimes. Ha.

Ever since the LEGO Company has closed off any such valve years ago for leaks (and gives a stern finger wag at anyone who does), it is impossible to streamline a channel or forum dedicated to leaks. At best we may get a preview two months in advance that happens to be an official reveal. Or spot an absolutely bit crushed into oblivion jpeg of a maybe.

While I recognize LEGO's decision on the matter of leaks, I do miss pulling up places such as ToyFare, getting excited, sharing the images, and everyone having a discussion. The set gets released proper, another discussion. Somebody builds the set, more discussion. Someone makes something cool with the set, even more discussion.

 

On the subject of a backlog, I have recently started going back through mine with my Hero Factory picks. The cannisters are neat but awkward to store. Plus getting hot in this heat. The characters have been quick to put together & hopefully should be just as easy to disassemble for storage. They simultaneously take up little shelf space and a lot of shelf space. Haha. I may do a short writeup on them later.