Future Set Wishes and Speculation

[howitzer]

48 minutes ago, allanp said:

Now THIS is how you argue. Good points well made, thank you!

This touches on the specialised parts discussion. The thing is, Lego started out with simple bricks to make mostly just buildings. Real life buildings are made of generic bricks, wood and things like that, all generic items. But cars and vehicles in general aren't like that. The majority of their components are specialized. But of course, Technic shouldn't be made of specialized parts only. That would negate the whole point of it being Lego. But I would say that the Technic theme should allow a little more room for specialized parts than other brick based themes. For those that don't like specialized parts, well that's cool, you don't have to use them. But the option could be there for those that do want to. The vast bulk of a model such as the chassis and bodywork doesn't need specialized parts. Besides, do we really need another type of wheel arch (to collect in all colours), another bit of trim to attach to a wheel arch, a new type of connector peg or panel etc. The F1 gearbox shows how the 3 stud long drive ring could be reduced right down in length, to 1 stud ideally (pretty sure the diff lock in the Zetros enguages with less than half a stud) You could have an 8 speed gearbox in the length of 12 studs (more if you want to add extra bracing for motorised models), it would be way better and much simpler to the point that younger fans could build an 8 speed gearbox into their own MOCs. The gears could have their number of teeth moulded into them, like the numbers on panels, to reduce mistakes as the manual would directly call out that number, combined with the fact that they are all different sizes an can only really go together the correct way, and have that gearbox stage in its own bag of parts to make it more mistake proof. Gotta be better than a brightly coloured gear in a sea of other brightly coloured parts where nothing stands out, because it all stands out! I do fully understand the arguments against too many specialized parts but I think in this case the benefits out weigh the negatives. 

I don't have a strong opinion on this either way, but couple of things of note:

The 3L driving rings are indeed quite wasteful, especially with the wave selector around. Originally the driving ring was 2L but it was changed to 3L to fit in better with the odd-width studless system - though I'm sure 2L could also be used in vast majority of the cases.

The numerous gears in the F1 gearbox (14 different sizes if I'm not mistaken, as opposed to 3 or 4 in the Sian gearbox) you showed would be kind of nice, but I doubt we'll ever see them because most would not be very useful as a Lego part. The current system allows many gear combinations with whole or half stud offsets, and that forces certain numbers of teeth for each respective size. The only size missing I think is the 32T gear, along with the clutch gears for most sizes. I believe those will show up eventually, but TLG doesn't make new parts unless they have to, so we'll have to wait for a set which can make a good use of those. Moulding teeth numbers in the gears is a great idea though.

As for the colourfulness, I don't really mind that, as the many colours make it much easier to sort and store gears (like putting normal and clutch gears of same size into the same bin and still finding them easily), and to see the workings of a gearbox. If every gear was the same colour, it would be pretty difficult to guess the teeth number in an already built gearbox, as you can't see most of it clearly. The Sian gearbox you showed would btw. be much more subdued with the old 16T clutch gears in DBG, while most of the rest of the colours come from various beams and connectors holding the thing together. So it's not just the gears, it's obviously a conscious choice on TLG's part to put in all those colours there. MOC makers can of course make their boxes with much less colours, as the 20T clutch gear is probably the only brightly coloured one which you can't easily avoid.

[2GodBDGlory]

14 hours ago, howitzer said:

The 3L driving rings are indeed quite wasteful, especially with the wave selector around. Originally the driving ring was 2L but it was changed to 3L to fit in better with the odd-width studless system - though I'm sure 2L could also be used in vast majority of the cases.

Yeah, the 2L was annoying for studless stuff using the old catch, but now that the wave selector is so common, it works fine in most instances. I still use 3L ones though, as they seem to skip out of gear less.

 

14 hours ago, howitzer said:

The only size missing I think is the 32T gear

And I really miss it...

14 hours ago, howitzer said:

as the 20T clutch gear is probably the only brightly coloured one which you can't easily avoid.

I remember watching an official Lego video of gearbox instructions once, and they used the 20T clutch gear in LBG! If only they put that one into a set...

[SNIPE]

One set I have yet to see lego make, is a mining machine but the sort that are mobile, here are two types of such vehicles:

or

Regards, Snipe.

Edited August 11, 2021 by SNIPE

[weavil]

30 minutes ago, SNIPE said:

is a mining machine

Or a dragline! 

The two you pictured have been made by other people and I don't think Lego version work look as good.

[AVCampos]

Such a set would be too... boring.

(badum-tschhh)

(no, I regret nothing)

[Bartybum]

A tunneling excavator would be quite interesting:

Like for obvious reasons it wouldn't be functional but the rolling arm mechanism is quite an interesting one

Edited August 11, 2021 by Bartybum

[weavil]

Hybrid shovels

[Jundis]

7 hours ago, Bartybum said:

A tunneling excavator would be quite interesting:

Like for obvious reasons it wouldn't be functional but the rolling arm mechanism is quite an interesting one

Would be a nice alternative to usual excavators.

For a long time, Lego avoided such machines, also something like a trash compacter or cement truck. But as these have been released already, I am pretty sure such a thing could be a nice model with 500 ... 1000 parts :-)

3 hours ago, weavil said:

Hybrid shovels

I think for the next 3 years TLC don't want to rival the 42100, but I'll definately want one :D

[syclone]

So Technic japanese cars when? Let's hope the next 1:8 isn't yet another Volkswagen... 

Although seeing as they make more and more american vehicles in Technic not getting my hopes up 

Edited August 13, 2021 by syclone

[Bartybum]

You know, one thing I’d love to see is slow motorised models that drive and steer through engaging clutches rather than RC. Stuff like:

The playability of these would be incredible. 42042 came close, but what killed it for me was the lack of steering.

Obviously they’d nearly all have to be tracked, but I bet there’s a few wheeled models out there that could work as well.

[howitzer]

7 hours ago, Bartybum said:

You know, one thing I’d love to see is slow motorised models that drive and steer through engaging clutches rather than RC. Stuff like:

<snip>

The playability of these would be incredible. 42042 came close, but what killed it for me was the lack of steering.

Obviously they’d nearly all have to be tracked, but I bet there’s a few wheeled models out there that could work as well.

This kind of stuff would be really great, simple yet playable. Only things lacking are proportional control of speed (some of the functions were pretty slow) and more power (in order to deliver the speed), but I guess you can't have everything.

I just fear that TLG is now set in its ways on C+, and any models at this scale/functionality will have the RC by phone controls. The dumb hub would allow these kinds of things even without C+ but it's probably going to be used only in simpler models (assuming we'll be getting even of those anytime soon...)

[Lion King]

Deleted the post

Edited August 15, 2021 by DBlegonerd7

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Now that black LAs are produced, it's prime time for a flagship reach stacker. And probably specialized part for a 3 stage boom as well.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Ngoc Nguyen

[Jockos]

I think that the upcoming flagship should be an overdue backhoe loader, but that doesn't exclude the possibility that a flagship reach stacker comes, too, but not in the near future.

[Dami]

I think that next flagship in 2022 will be supercar, in 2023 maybe a massive, $450 Mobile Crane with like 4500 pieces and very advanced mechanisms. It would be amazing

[howitzer]

Today I spotted a most curious vehicle parked in the street nearby:

I counted 9 hydraulic cylinders, 1 for steering and 4*2 for various controls of the blade. Those along with the rubber tracks, would make this great material for a flagship set.

[Dylan M]

1 hour ago, Dami said:

I think that next flagship in 2022 will be supercar, in 2023 maybe a massive, $450 Mobile Crane with like 4500 pieces and very advanced mechanisms. It would be amazing

Supercar is Never to be a Flagship...

[1gor]

@howitzer it reminds me on this Deere high speed dozer.

[Dami]

4 hours ago, 1gor said:

Something like this would be cool $40 or $50 set.

 

4 hours ago, Dylan M said:

Supercar is Never to be a Flagship...

Then maybe Volvo mining truck.

Edited August 21, 2021 by Milan
Do not quote videos or images from the same page.

[howitzer]

25 minutes ago, 1gor said:

@howitzer it reminds me on this Deere high speed dozer.

<snip>

I think the one I photographed is actually a Deere, though with a blade which has much more functions than the one in your picture.

[1gor]

33 minutes ago, howitzer said:

I think the one I photographed is actually a Deere, though with a blade which has much more functions than the one in your picture.

Yes, but I could not find one with attachment that you took picture of...

[jorgeopesi]

Any RC forklift would be good and it would be difficult for them to be very wrong... besides all of them are very playable IMO.

[Bartybum]

Along with a return of 2x7 pneumatic cylinders, I’d really like to see a $80USD sized pneumatic front loader

[Ngoc Nguyen]

5 hours ago, Dami said:

$450 Mobile Crane with like 4500 pieces and very advanced mechanisms

This thing is very likely. I think it's gonna be a RC 42082 with 6 axles and some new fancy stuff. Maybe specialized parts to make a 3 stage telecopic boom.

[Bartybum]

I mean I don’t think there’s any reason to think it’s likely that we’ll get a mobile crane in 2023. It seems really arbitrary.