Peppermint_M

Could people use the report function and not confront others in the thread? That way staff can come in and tidy up. @legoturtle you need to keep away from those subjects. It is bad enough you hold them personally without you broadcasting them on an unrelated site. If you find you can't resist it, you will find you can't continue on the forum. Benefit of the doubt is being eroded by all these issues you are creating.

Arctic is not ScFi? That is certainly a lot more like Town/City and actual modern day operations by polar scientists. In other discussion: Got to the LEGO store yesterday, currently displays were geared to the upcoming Valentine's day so most of the built models were the floral sets. But there was a lovely selection of the space sets to choose from. I wonder if this new space push will result in some Build-a-Minifig parts and PaB pick'n'build to choose from? That would be nice and worth the visit in the future.

Okay guys, I think we need some time to chill out a little. People are getting a little over the top about things, taking misplaced comments seriously and all that. Maybe step away for a bit, then come in with fresh heads.

Did that now.

Okay then, Majorette is also in amongst all that. (I honestly thought Hasbro had Matchbox after Tyco...) which covers the "Offers a different option" part of the brand selection example I made. Majorette has a line of Rally livery diecast and being French is more Eurocentric in its products. Hot Wheels is more fantasy casting than Matchbox (So I guess the "action theme" to the City theme here) Oh, even more relevant to my using cars as an example: Teamsterz exist as a diecast brand that is not as expensive as the bigger brands but still has both realistic and fantasy casts for someone who can't afford a lot of the "premium" stuff but still wants to bulk out a collection for the kids or for a display.

An issue I have noticed here are people mixing up Competitor brands with Bootleg brands. This was an issue a few years ago too, so I helped with the FAQ/Glossary. I think I will repeat: A "Clone Brand" is a competitor brand produced by a legitimate business. Mega Block, Cobi, Block Tech, Best Lock etc. These brands produce compatible bricks and pieces with their own branding and figures. The figures are not exactly the same as LEGO, but accessories are often interchangeable. They have their own themes and play set designs. Some of them are IP (Halo from Mega, World of Tanks from Cobi etc) some are generic like Police cars and construction vehicles, maybe spaceships and Castles. However they all have their own branding. This includes some of the new brands that use generic bricks to produce designs by MOC designers who are partners or otherwise cooperating with the company. A Bootleg or copy "brand" is a rip-off of an actual legitimate product. The logos are made to match the brand they are copying, the figures are copied from LEGO, they are trying to fool consumers or are simply matching up to make a quick buck. These are also the "companies" that steal MOCs to sell as sets. They are not working with the AFOL who created the original, they don't have permission. So yes, the actual frauds are bad, but a real competitor is part of life. Matchbox cars exist in the same market as Hot Wheels cars. McFarlane toys action figures and Figuarts populate the action figures shelves in a Comic Shop.

Some facts I would like before I can say much: Has the builder of the second MOC specifically said they were inspired by or used elements of your build? Do you distribute the instructions for people to use for building a copy? Was your build that you created completely devoid of any LEGO Set techniques (AKA, based on the wheelbase design of a Speed Champion Set, or started with the actual DeLorean Set with the intention of scaling down)? When two people build something based of an iconic element of a very well known pre-existing property, it is not easy to say someone has copied a specific MOC if their version looks like the source to the same extent as your own. Some common build techniques are so universal that they are not copied, but come upon by builders independent of each other, so even that cannot be used as a basis for judging. Without the context of a MOC post, it is also hard to say - if someone mentions basing a build of someone else's version, that could make a case.

They are not exactly counterfeit, just competing brands. All the major supermarkets here in the UK have both LEGO and at least one other, sometimes more, competing brands. Science Museum branded technic-like sets, a generic BlockTech brand has several packaging types depending on the stockists. B&M Bargains has a more "mature" black coloured box for some of the kits, while the exact same product has cheerful primary colours for the box in Morrisons supermarket. Mega sets are either with companion brands (So Hot Wheels sets with the diecast cars, Pokémon sets with other Pokémon merch, Barbie building sets with the fashion dolls, etc). Or in the construction bricks section. 100% market domination would be damaging for everyone.

Unfortunately, these minimally "intrusive" (Has anyone seen the Fandom wiki pages eh? Now those are bad) ads that slide up from the bottom are a part of the ad client. Seeing as they hardly disrupt use of the forum, I can't tell what the issue is. (Granted, mine are all for World of Books... So I just see exciting books I may want to buy). Sadly, forums do cost money to run, even if all the staff are volunteers.

That would be the Google Ad client. not this actual site. Unless you choose to have the site "remember me" with cookies so you don't have to log in fresh each time? @Jim we don't run any kind of "trackers" do we?

I'll repeat what is said elsewhere: The forum runs off the ad revenue. Without it, we would have to shut down. Software and hosting is not free. Once the site loses too much money to run, it will be gone. I am aware that a few people dislike ads and the software in them (If you use Chrome, Google already knows everything about you so it is pretty pointless to block ads with anything in them) but there would be no Eurobricks without them.

A new poll is in place, with the new set. Feel free to cast a new vote, if your favourite has changed, or remains the same.

Has everyone forgotten the rule of NO POLITICS? It is right there in the guidelines. If you start yattering on with "political" this and "politics" that, well... You are breaking the rules. So: Stop it. Leave it alone. Don't get banned. Super simple. (PS: This post is a line in the discussion. Any more posts continuing the subject you have been asked to stop? The poster will find themselves in isolation.)

I love those books! I came to them a little later as they were already out of print when I was a kid. Found a great condition copy of Spacecraft in a second hand bookshop when I finished uni early one day. It sparked a hunt to collect them all (Pleased to say, I have them now!) they certainly inspire and influence my own space MOCs Those ships are a great match to the source, thanks for sharing and looking forward to seeing more.

A cartoon that was not as good as Hey Arnold! As you can see, there are characters who are teal, there were purple people also I think a few other odd colours. I suppose a good similar example would be The Tweenies in the UK...

Sorted it out

However, we do still have some core themes, and there is nothing saying "the core" cannot shift. With a decade + lifespan, Ninjago has become a core theme, not something we predicted when I was asked to be staff for the soon-to-be-formed Action Themes subforum. I honestly thought I would be looking after a section with an ever changing roster and some firm favourites that had nostalgia appeal (Like Adventurers and Aqua-(fill in the blank)) as a foundation. Instead, while indeed Adventurers and deep sea exploration remain cornerstones. Ninjago has lasted and lasted, with AFOLs coming in who grew up with the theme just the same as the original online AFOLs grew up with Space/Town/Castle.

See, I like Dreamzzz and it seems a lot more coherent than Time Cruisers/Time Twisters was and that theme falls into the timescale people are arguing to be a good era... I enjoy the flights of fancy and the fantastical world of the Dream World.

I will have to quiz her on what sort of "building stuff" she likes. As I said, she has a few system sets, she also knits and sews. So fiddly work doesn't put her off.

Mmm, love those grey tyres. I like that the space technic has a little variety for the tyres now. I am wondering if some of the space technic will be a good gift for my friend (she worked as a physicist for the Pentagon!!!) she likes LEGO and Space but has not really ventured past the system sets. However, I think she would enjoy something replicating actual gear.

Considering that the "ages" have been taken off the boxes (With 4+ and 18+ being A Branding exception and not an age "restriction") for a while, I don't think it is a true reflection. Ninjago, Dreamzzz, Monkie Kid are all themes with the same target age demographic as Star Wars and Superheroes. More complex building techniques are used, with the 4+ sets giving access to the younger fans. City, Friends and Classic are pitched "all ages" or up to 8 with their more simplistic approach to design and accessibility. Creator (to an extent), Technic, Art and the more premium 18+ are for older LEGO fans, or something to attract a more mature audience with a product that is less "playset" and more Build to Display. Again, some of those sets are not complicated to build and are an effort to catch a market share of the adults with disposable income who want to build something instead of just own (Like Funko Pop or other vinyl figures that older teens and adults might pick up). Not sure what you refer to with "design language" as to me that sounds like the structure and build techniques of a set. Not to be mean, but most older sets are very simplistic in both design and build, so I am glad we are able to get more complicated designs and parts that allow much more variety in build style. Nostalgia tells me that Sphinx Secret Surprise was the best set ever (it is my favourite) but rebuilding it now... I made an upgrade to match my childhood vision instead of the 90s set, the simple build was nice but not exceptional and would not have survived in today's market. Though, it won't change the enjoyment I had when I was young or take away from that either, it just meant I have the parts and skills to make something bigger and better. A tribute set to an older theme is a nice treat, but no herald of a return to the past. It just means TLG knows that they can get some money off a bunch of 40-somthings with disposable income or a child in their life to use as an excuse to buy a toy.

That Asimov Quote is wholly accurate and true. Nothing will make anyone happy like when they were a child, though something might appeal to them. You say: I agree, it is very subjective. My spaceship wants were things that looked like those from Thunderbirds, the 80s Flash Gordon film (Somewhere there is a red torso with a faded sharpie lightning bolt), the ship ELO has on their album covers and the exhibition colour jets (Red Arrows, Blue Angels and the like). All these exciting colours available to build spaceships out of is great! I love that Marvel has made their space based stories so colourful too, with the real Chris Foss looks, so that the tie-in toys look good. Anywho, I don't know what will make anyone happy. Nothing makes everyone happy and I think the marketing guys at TLG will carry on aiming at kids.

The topic was asked to be dropped, this thread is not the place for that discussion. Ok. Drawing a line now. So no more off topic discussion here.

No. We just have more important work to do than keep a list of obscure themes maintained, especially if it is pretty much Obvious considering the other Exactly Alike past themes are listed. You know, like moderating posts where people are making it sound like Nazis are not that bad by comparing them to harmless fiction.

I think it is somewhere on the browser version of Instagram. It's been a while since I tried.