Samppu

This was a good one... But honestly, I am happy. I have always wanted, and I still very much want, all the on screen (in prequel movies) clones, and if the rumors turn out true, I will soon have them. Of course, the design might be the weird clone wars style printing and I might opt for customizing after all, but shall see. I am happy now as it stands.

This I can agree. Even putting them under wings would have been preferable with ARC-170, but that is an easy thing to change if one wants, though.

I actually see the spring loaded shooter as the best part Lego Star Wars has ever received, as I believe the 2014 Anakin's Jedi Starfighter was the first one to get them. It makes it possible to build fun, screen accurate (in the sense that the actual missiles look like lasers blasts in Star Wars style) laser cannons in very cramped space in ways that simply were not possible before. I agree that many sets just clumsily add them on top of whatever, but from the perspective of a moccer, the possibilities are truly limitless, and they are anyway very easy to conceal in general, as even done in a few sets. Indeed, it is dull to disdain them being childlike, because they can be perfectly concealed in almost every case, and their launching mechanism can be made more clever than simple finger pressing. E.g. I have a couple of ones, where you can launch them by pulling the joystick in the cockpit, or I have seen some examples how they are used to gear machine gun -like fire in gunships, which are launched by pressing a hidden button. For the same reason I enjoy even the stud shooters, especially the newer version with more powerful blast. They are a bit clumsy as blasters but they make extremely convenient pieces for actually functioning mortars, bazookas, grenade launchers (like in AT-ST or AT-PT) and certain big blasters in dwarf spider droids and other such machines. This is not a counter-argument against the technic shooters or other mechanisms like bombs, though. The more the merrier, as this aspect sets Lego building apart from ordinary model building (Revell and other stuff I mean).

I am simply curious, what is so bad about it? Or rather, what the logo set should be like to earn the fans' appraisal? And really, I am generally just curious, because I don't see it, but I am not so familiar with Marvel myself. Hmm... Well, now that I think of it from the perspective that if they release a similar thing with Star Wars like light bluish gray or white text over a black background, well... Yeah, maybe I get it after all.

I totally agree, and I still believe that the kids would prefer playsets, too. That's what Lego is about afterall compared to other toys; everything in principle fits to the same universe, even the minidolls and traditional Lego figures share the same universe. I remember that as a kid we did find some funny problems with my sister when my spiderman action figure tried to make a visit to my sister's doll house, but he got stuck into the door... Anyway, I would guess that the mechs and microfighters are just a solution to the dropping price level of birthday gifts. It used to be 20 € when I was working in a toyshop, so the logic went "Something Lego, something Star Wars, around 20 € for my son's friend Bob" = a battlepack Nowadays I guess it goes like "Something Lego, something Star Wars, around 15 € for my son's friend Bob" = a microfighter

This is an actually interesting question, whether there is either some lack of love or lack of competence in the SW design team, or if every sign of smug or ignorance is caused simply by higher ups demanding good marketing profile etc. On one hand, I would believe that in every interview etc. the designers have no choice but to praise what they have done. That is the standard in the music industry and in Hollywood etc., so probably also regarding Lego. Though, one could still point out clear design choices and arguments behind them, not merely praise that everything about everything is great, but to really argue for one's choices, like "Khetanna looks dark brown in the movies, but we made it reddish brown because this and that". This would still be good marketing, but still showing some humble and most importantly, honest analysis that there are choices to make in the design process. If everything about everything is great, that generally does not sound very genuine... I would also guess that the SW team has had novel recruits over the years, and probably they are behind the modern master pieces (from the technical perspective of Lego building) like the Ferrix shuttle. But then, the ones who originally began the job at the end of the 1990s might still hold a place, unless someone has retired, or someone has kicked them out at some point, which I might doubt. Due to their long experience they might even have a lot of authority even if their skill and knowledge might seriously lack behind the modern standards and current masters. The examples possibly supporting this inference are at least the never-changing snowspeeder, which has had the same design for more than two decades, even if examples and novel pieces for improvement have been common and widespread for long. Like, if some contemporary master builder would have that task to design a new snowspeeder at Lego and under their limitations, hands up, how many of you would believe they would still go with the exactly same core design? Another supporting evidence might be the variable design quality between sets, and sometimes rookie flaws in them, like the UCS star destroyer having serious gaps. These make me at least feel that there might be designers of separate levels at work. Though, these are only some aspects I have personally picked up in the designs and their presentation over the years. Cannot really say for sure, if there is any truth to these notions.

Yeah, I actually use the familyguy helmets only on custom spacetroopers, which have a small hardsuit following the standard stormtrooper design. For the actual stormtrooper corps I use either the old helmets or 3rd party customs.

Works really well, I like it!

Totally agree! Imperial battlepack, yes please! Particularly a one including anything more obscure than simple stormtroopers.

My wishes don't revolve so much around the sets according to their themes but according to the parts they include, particularly novel molds for aliens and helmets. 1. Range trooper helmet (for cheap...), if the rumor is true, and it actually makes an appearance in a set. 2. Any new molded alien head, or a remake of the old ones hard-to-acquire now. Plo Koon seems guaranteed at least, and it should even come in a cheaper set (like not in those 100+ € sets...) 2. If we get Deidra, I would wishfully wishwishwish that her officer cap would have hair attached to it. Or that she at least gets the officer cap... Admiral Sloane... Sigh...

Yes please. And while we're still at it, a tank driver with a proper helmet... Generally I feel we are overdue of an Imperial battlepack, which would include other stuff than just stormtroopers. The same goes for the Alliance/New Republic. In recent years we have only got clones.

Ah, I love it! This is how I personally consider how the capital ships should be built. Accurate from the outside but still including a reasonably scaled version of the interior with the most iconic choices prioritized as its content. Excellent touch on this.

Yep. Generally Lego tends to make unreasonable choices when it comes to inclusion of generic vs. unique figures. Probably has something to do with licencing issues, though. The Soulless one with Grievous a couple of years ago could have included Cody (luckily we had one later, but disappointment then was very real) and the anniversary AT-RT could have included AT-RT driver but instead both were given just generic clones in their places. Same things with the Naboo characters as you said. While I believe in the release of a SW cmf line like I believe in fairies, obscure characters could still appear in advent calendars if they are not given sets, like Zam? Usually they only include figures, which have appeared on sets, but at least the Imperial colonel was unique only to an advent calendar. That would also hugely boost the interest into them anyway. 5 figures, 2 of which are mostly useless holiday specials, with a whopping price tag and generic choices for the rest 3 figures. Have skipped those things for years in a row now, and watched with envy the Potter versions...

Ah, I love it! Good work on smooth angles and well-crafted versions of the figures. Can the minifigures access the cockpit somehow?

I would suppose these legs are already too long to make your Darth Vader longer (and you would need to wash off the prints first), but has anyone tried? I would love to see the result, and wouldn't bother to try it myself, because this fig is hard and expensive to acquire. But in case someone here happens to own this figure already? The figure is called Jack Skellington.