Future Constraction Lines

[Voxovan]

I come from the year 2018 and CCBS has two themes: Nexo Nights and Star Wars.

In all seriousness, this is the most realistic scenario. They need to sell, and they need to play it safe.

*snip*

Further proof LEGO is seriously thinking about CCBS Nexo Knights.

I really hope that won't be a thing. Human CCBS figures look awful.

[Jetrax99]

I really hope that won't be a thing. Human CCBS figures look awful.

We need more human CCBS sets.

Not everyone wants to keep buying robotic type characters.

[DraikNova]

We need more human CCBS sets.

Not everyone wants to keep buying robotic type characters.

Organic? Sure, but making them human characters results in awkward uncanny valley issues. Aliens or creatures can be made with CCBS level abstraction while avoiding this problem.

[TheOneVeyronian]

Organic? Sure, but making them human characters results in awkward uncanny valley issues. Aliens or creatures can be made with CCBS level abstraction while avoiding this problem.

If LEGO were ever to do a Nexo Knights CCBS theme, I'd imagine they'd do the knights with their helmets on, probably permanently. I could bear the Star Wars CCBS faces as they are ultimately based on "real" faces, but having moulded faces for Nexo Knights buildable figures would seem a bit... weird. Not just in the uncanny valley aspect either. It's since the only official visuals we have of the Nexo Knights characters are stylised minifigure visuals, so suddenly for their faces to become "realistic" looking...

Unless they go down the Knights Kingdom II route of course which keeps the stylised faces and havs the advantage of optional helmets... but I think they look equally ugly. At least a realistic Nexo Knights moulded face would have more re-use potential as I'd imagine all the knight's faces, weird as they would seem, to be generic enough to be used on a lot of human characters, especially if they don't mould the faces into the helmets.

But yeah, while I would like to see more organic characters, I'd prefer to see aliens and non-humanoid animals, maybe even non-human anthros (think werewolves and stuff like that), something that hasn't been covered in the Star Wars buildable figures range yet (that's already covered humans and robots pretty well imo).

[GK733]

non-human anthros (think werewolves and stuff like that), something that hasn't been covered in the Star Wars buildable figures range yet (that's already covered humans and robots pretty well imo).

I'm pretty sure Lego has deemed Chima constraction as a failure, meaning it's unlikely they would do something like that again.

[Kalhiki]

Interesting thought. Knights Kingdom II sort of went that route in its first couple years, with each knight defined not by an element but by an attribute (Jayko the Quick, Santis the Strong, Danju the Wise, and Rascus the Clever.

One tricky thing about this compared to elements is that elements are very visual — there are specific images you associate with fire, water, earth, ice, stone, or jungle (air a bit less so, which is one of the advantages jungle has over air from a character design standpoint). With more abstract attributes like speed and strength, you have to go with imagery connected with that element in a more abstract way. So for instance, DC Comics' The Flash uses lightning bolt imagery because speed doesn't have a specific "look", but lightning is something we think of as fast. Knights' Kingdom II opted to use animal motifs associated with its knights' attributes.

Yeah, I get that elements are easier to represent through a color scheme, but that's why I was thinking about less conventional color schemes.

I keep thinking Hero Factory. I don't recall Bulk ever having an elemental basis. I believe he was just the strong man. He was silver and orange. I guess silver would make you think of metal, and metal is strong...? Still. Not exactly an elemental basis.

And Nex was orange and he was a tech-head. Evo... I don't even remember what his skill/attribute/whatever was, but he didn't have an element either. and yellow doesn't really bring to mind any elements (same with orange... And no, Stone doesn't count).

It's not out of the question that elements could be dropped. Maybe keep a few (red fire guy always seems like a good idea), but also throw in some more ambiguous powers as well.

Or if we're keeping elements, do some that haven't been done as much. Lightning is always fun.

In terms of Nexo Knights Constraction... I wouldn't complain, but I'd find it kinda funny that Chima and hypothetically Nexo Knights would have had Constraction lines, but Ninjago (the arguably more popular brand) never has... Aside from those knock offs.

[PicnicBasketSam]

RE all the suggestions for CCBS Exo-Force: Oh please no. If they do actual Exo-Force (System...) instead of Constraction, I'd be all over that.

[TheOneVeyronian]

I'm pretty sure Lego has deemed Chima constraction as a failure, meaning it's unlikely they would do something like that again.

Ignore my suggestion of non-human anthros actually - somehow in the 20 minutes I spent writing that post, I completely forgot that Chima ultrabuilds even existed... despite having them all on display next to me. I'd been thinking a lot about MTG* werewolves prior to that post as well so...

*no, this is not a theme suggestion. Some of the imagery used in that kinda pushes LEGO's policies a little so it'd never happen...

If LEGO really wanted me to buy a ton of each set, a Constraction theme dedicated to dragons would send me into an uncontrollable buying frenzy. And with the amount of different types of dragon you can have (classic/European, Oriental/Chinese, wyvern, wurm, drake, I can go on) and can be associated with Elemental types, it's not a complete impossibility either. In fact, a certain clone brand used to do just this sort of theme in the mid-Noughties... and they sold pretty well, at least in my country anyway, despite the fact that in hindsight, the sets were about as bad as worse than Galidor They even sold well enough for Chinese bootleggers to copy them and have their stock sold in discount chain stores here. Sure, LEGO already do dragons in System themes and have done things like Kardas or Dragon Bolt, but this would be new. Just a whole wave of various Constraction dragons, maybe with minifigure accompaniments. That's my dream Constraction theme

[Bigger Fish]

Ignore my suggestion of non-human anthros actually - somehow in the 20 minutes I spent writing that post, I completely forgot that Chima ultrabuilds even existed... despite having them all on display next to me. I'd been thinking a lot about MTG* werewolves prior to that post as well so...

*no, this is not a theme suggestion. Some of the imagery used in that kinda pushes LEGO's policies a little so it'd never happen...

If LEGO really wanted me to buy a ton of each set, a Constraction theme dedicated to dragons would send me into an uncontrollable buying frenzy. And with the amount of different types of dragon you can have (classic/European, Oriental/Chinese, wyvern, wurm, drake, I can go on) and can be associated with Elemental types, it's not a complete impossibility either. In fact, a certain clone brand used to do just this sort of theme in the mid-Noughties... and they sold pretty well, at least in my country anyway, despite the fact that in hindsight, the sets were about as bad as worse than Galidor They even sold well enough for Chinese bootleggers to copy them and have their stock sold in discount chain stores here. Sure, LEGO already do dragons in System themes and have done things like Kardas or Dragon Bolt, but this would be new. Just a whole wave of various Constraction dragons, maybe with minifigure accompaniments. That's my dream Constraction theme

That sound pretty neat, though elemental humanoid robot dragons sounds like an idea I've been working on for quite a while now. Also, what clone brand and bootleg did that? I kinda want to look it up.

[Lyichir]

If LEGO were ever to do a Nexo Knights CCBS theme, I'd imagine they'd do the knights with their helmets on, probably permanently. I could bear the Star Wars CCBS faces as they are ultimately based on "real" faces, but having moulded faces for Nexo Knights buildable figures would seem a bit... weird. Not just in the uncanny valley aspect either. It's since the only official visuals we have of the Nexo Knights characters are stylised minifigure visuals, so suddenly for their faces to become "realistic" looking...

Unless they go down the Knights Kingdom II route of course which keeps the stylised faces and havs the advantage of optional helmets... but I think they look equally ugly. At least a realistic Nexo Knights moulded face would have more re-use potential as I'd imagine all the knight's faces, weird as they would seem, to be generic enough to be used on a lot of human characters, especially if they don't mould the faces into the helmets.

But yeah, while I would like to see more organic characters, I'd prefer to see aliens and non-humanoid animals, maybe even non-human anthros (think werewolves and stuff like that), something that hasn't been covered in the Star Wars buildable figures range yet (that's already covered humans and robots pretty well imo).

I imagine that Nexo Knights constraction figures would likely do something similar to Knights Kingdom II, but would maintain the simplicity of the minifigure faces rather than adding excessive details like noses.

[TheOneVeyronian]

That sound pretty neat, though elemental humanoid robot dragons sounds like an idea I've been working on for quite a while now. Also, what clone brand and bootleg did that? I kinda want to look it up.

I was more talking about non-humanoid organic dragons but I'll take anything that even remotely resembles a dragon

As for the clone brand, it was LEGO's number one thorn in the side (Mega Bloks), they did a long-running theme called - rather unimaginatively - Dragons (and a sort of spinoff impulse buy line Plasma Dragons, which in itself spawned many series and variants). I admit to having been the recipient of quite a few as a kid, they were okay... when they stayed together and well. Which they often didn't. Fair warning: the medium and large dragons will remind you of Galidor...

I say they sold well because apparently certain variants became very hard to find in shops, so I think if a clone brand can sell Constraction-type dragons well, then LEGO can too. Plus, dragons are popular and they sell.

[Bigger Fish]

Oh yeah, I remember those. My friend had some. Also, I really liked Galidor.

[The Outsider]

Another idea, for more world-building themes: a Creator-type constraction set, like this thing. Especially if it helps steer away from mostly humanoid builds.

[LegoRomania]

Because Bionicle is officialy ended.I'm ready for what will the future bring us.

I would like to see an constraction line with more alien looking figures than robots.

[Ikaatril]

My guess: the Star Wars CCBS did so well the profits from BIONICLE looked measly (and thus not high enough) in comparison. Hero Factory would have had the same fate if SWCCBS was out alongside it.

[DraikNova]

I kind of want more Hero Factory, unlikely though that is. Maybe, to provide some more non-humanoids while avoiding the need to know about pre-reboot stuff, they could make it take place in another part of the galaxy, where non-humanoids are more common and as a result the robots are modeled after them? I mean, HF always seemed to imply that the area near Makuhero City, where most of the storylines took place, is just a small part of the area HF is responsible for.

[Dorek]

I'm still in for a Slizers reboot, but honestly I think I don't want the next constraction theme attached to a specific storyline. I loved BIONICLE, and Hero Factory, but it's an enormous effort to create a huge transmedia base and have it go off without a hitch. Whenever we next see constraction figures, I'd like a barebones framework of a world, and let the rest be up to people's imagination.

(you know, like Slizers)

[LegoRomania]

What if they reboot roboriders and they make them to transform

[DraikNova]

I'm still in for a Slizers reboot, but honestly I think I don't want the next constraction theme attached to a specific storyline. I loved BIONICLE, and Hero Factory, but it's an enormous effort to create a huge transmedia base and have it go off without a hitch. Whenever we next see constraction figures, I'd like a barebones framework of a world, and let the rest be up to people's imagination.

(you know, like Slizers)

That's kind of what I felt HF was like, to be honest. A full, wide-spanning world, but only those things important to the series' plot filled in, giving lots of room for fan characters/settings/creatures/cultures/whatever.

Also, this is clearly all moot. The next constraction theme will obviously be Galidor G2.

Which, to be honest, could probably work if done right.

Edited July 29, 2016 by DraikNova

[Kalta the Noble Mind]

I'm still in for a Slizers reboot, but honestly, I think I don't want the next constraction theme attached to a specific storyline. I loved BIONICLE, and Hero Factory, but it's an enormous effort to create a huge transmedia base and have it go off without a hitch. Whenever we next see constraction figures, I'd like a barebones framework of a world, and let the rest be up to people's imagination.

(you know, like Slizers)

oooh, what if they make a fan-generated story, using a service that combines lego ideas and rebrick? like, rebrick contests can be held to figure out what new set or story point gets made and like lego ideas, the contests winners get made into actual sets and made canon and such.

promotes creative play and encourages creativity as well as "raise/farm" new creative talent for the company. and for sure it will generate a lot of publicity for the company as well as maybe reinvent how producer and Consumer interact. or something.

it's basically all those BZPower story contests with real substantial prizes. Scratch all that! it's basically what G1 Bionicle pioneered in: Fan made expanded universe content! i remember for sure lego had at least 2 contests that help flesh out their world: Bionicle rahi and Bionicle Dark hunters which gave us 2 books full of new characters that factor into the story and i think several story contests entries that help flesh out the timeline of events and I believe one contest fundamentally changed the nature of the "magic system" (Toa Krakua's element of Sonics opened the door to Toa of extra elements outside of the main 6) it did a two punch dealie: not only did its expanse give regular fans ample room for our imaginations to grow but shown us that our ideas can be worth something if applied to the right venues. or something.

also, I can see a whole new redesigned Lego Digital Designer that has premium features geared towards professional 3D designers be they for VFX Animation or CAD.

Edited July 29, 2016 by Kalta the Noble Mind

[MakutaDreadscythe]

Calling it now. Constraction Gordon Ramsay. Because I dunno where to go from here.

Oh, and you csn use the gear function to chop brick-built fruit.

[Jetrax99]

All I will say is that if there's no full constraction line by at least 2018 and all we get are Ultrabuilds for system lines, I'm crossing LEGO off my list of interests.

[Kalhiki]

All I will say is that if there's no full constraction line by at least 2018 and all we get are Ultrabuilds for system lines, I'm crossing LEGO off my list of interests.

While I won't go that far, I definitely will be buying a lot less Lego in the future if there's no Constraction line. I buy the occasional System set, but Constraction has probably been 90% of the Lego I buy.

I'm not sad that Bionicle's over, but it does make me worry about Constraction's future. I still think it'd be smart to introduce more System parts into CCBS to draw in more System fans and hopefully boost sales. What such a line could be, well... I'll leave that to the designers.

Furthermore, aside from Star Wars, I don't see there being another Constraction line until probably 2018, like you said. Unless they have some super secret backup plan in the works just in case.

[DraikNova]

While I won't go that far, I definitely will be buying a lot less Lego in the future if there's no Constraction line. I buy the occasional System set, but Constraction has probably been 90% of the Lego I buy.

I'm not sad that Bionicle's over, but it does make me worry about Constraction's future. I still think it'd be smart to introduce more System parts into CCBS to draw in more System fans and hopefully boost sales. What such a line could be, well... I'll leave that to the designers.

Furthermore, aside from Star Wars, I don't see there being another Constraction line until probably 2018, like you said. Unless they have some super secret backup plan in the works just in case.

I wouldn't be suprised. LEGO was developing Nexo Knights 8 years before it came out (if I remember correctly) and Ninjago 3 years before it came out. Even if Bionicle had gotten its three years, they've probably been developing the theme that was intended to replace it for a while. As I see it, there are three options:

1: They rush the new theme's development and release it in the summer of 2017.

2: They release it in 2018.

3: They cancelled it due to Bionicle's bad sales.

As for system-based constraction, that's pretty much what Mixels is. Which lost most of its media and might not be around too long either. Personally, I think LEGO's going more for integrating action figure type builds into other themes, like with Nexo Knights' Sparkss and Burnzie.

Edited July 29, 2016 by DraikNova

[LegoRomania]

I don't think that lego hasn't any plan for next year.

Here is what i think:

Lego has planed an theme to replace bionicle in 2018,they said that they changed the plan of release bionicle sets in 2017 in the time of journey to one production,so they put the 2018 sets in 2017 winter or summer.

Or they will make another sub-theme like star wars.