Odd-Figs Do you like them?

[Peppermint_M]

Hello! I have been looking at the new little guys in Dreamzzz and got to thinking about all the "odd" figures over the years since the Minifigure was introduced. 

From 4 Junior's Jack Stone, Basic & Fabuland, the variety of figures from Belville, Technic and the Bionicle/Hero Factory minifig scaled characters... Really, from A to Xalax. There has been a lot of the non standard figures (I liked the Elves Goblins, Rock Monsters from Power Miners and the Game board minis quite a lot also). 

So, opinions? Like 'em, Love 'em? Loath the figures appearing at all?

Just to nip anything in the bud: Minidolls can count in here but after so many consistent years in production I would say they are not odd figures when compared with all the others I have mentioned above. Figures that have appeared for a while, even just one theme, and are now gone. 

[Trekkie99]

Got a few of the Technic figs and think they're really cool. Love the size. Everything else kinda feels... I guess 'unnecessary' is a good word. 

[Eggyslav]

I really miss Technic Figs, and wish TLG brought them back in some of the Technic sets, they always were so cool and posable, and made the models look alive. It's a real shame they're gone.

[Mylenium]

The new Dreamzzz minis are cute with their little tummies and doughy, drop/ blob like appearance. Other than that I can only speak for a few of the Elves goblins. Some are cute, some are not, so it's a bit of a mixed bag. Generally, though, I would prefer if occasionally LEGO did more of these miniaturized figures just to have options when something isn't minifig size. On the other end I would throw in another vote for some sort of Technic figures. Not necessarily the old ones, though. It would need to be updated notably to look pretty and fit with today's standards and expectations. I always found it odd that you had to use Playmobil or other such figures just to man your machines and vehicles...

Mylenium

[danth]

Technic figs were awesome!

I also like the Belville and Galidor figure formats, mainly for their posability. They're the closest thing to having official Lego action figures. There aren't many male Belville figs to choose from, and only two human Galidor figures, but both formats seems fine.

I don't really like the Dreamzzz guys since they only exist as a way for Lego to cheap out on minifigs. Most odd figs like those just seem cheap.I really hated the Mars Mission small aliens for that reason.

[Peppermint_M]

I dunno. The creatures from Nexo Knights:

and the Elves Goblins 

Are similar and match the same design idea. They are a little larger I suppose. 

[Umbra-Manis]

I've got a nostalgic attachment to the Mars Mission figures, although I do like the Commanders Much more these days (Articulation ftw)

I do see most odd-figs as less valuable than a minifigure, and I definitely would prefer dreamz had more minifigures. The Nexo Knights robots were a better medium in my opinion, as they were brick-built and articulated rather than the limits of most odd-figs. 

[Classic_Spaceman]

13 hours ago, danth said:

I don't really like the Dreamzzz guys since they only exist as a way for Lego to cheap out on minifigs. 

I disagree, since they have normal heads, headgear, accessories, and sometimes even printing. Also, I feel like trying to make Z-Blob or the Dreamling mushrooms as Minifigs would look strange and not give the same whimsical feel that the Grimspawn bodies do. 
 

[Lion King]

I don’t like minidolls.

I like Rock Monster from Rock Raider but I don’t like Rock Monster from Power Miner (2009). To clarify, I DO like mini monsters from Power Miner theme but NOT that big ones. I feel the recent rock monster verision is more wackier and its design is poor. I prefer classic rock monster. 

I like Dreamings from DreamZzz. They are so cute! No problem with them being immovable or having no ability to hold.

i like aliens from Mars Mission.

i like Yeti figure from Adventurer theme (2003). Much better than the standard minifiure Yeti from CMF.  I would love to see lego to re-introduce Yeti parts in future!

[Mylenium]

20 hours ago, danth said:

I don't really like the Dreamzzz guys since they only exist as a way for Lego to cheap out on minifigs.

Weird logic. They "cheapen out" by creating a new mold? Also as the @Classic_Spaceman already said, many of these little buggers are printed and they use standard minifig heads. In fact there's one in one the sets that uses the 2x "minifig big head". And of course all the new accessories and recolored pieces. I really can't see why this would be so terrible. My only complaint really would have to be that LEGO are being miserly by not even having them in every set and when they do, their definitely could be more.

Mylenium

[danth]

1 hour ago, Mylenium said:

Weird logic.

Well I didn't really explain my logic did I? Although I assumed it was obvious enough that I didn't need to.

Minifigs have a printed torso comprised 5 different parts that have to be assembled in a factory. Their legs have three separate parts that have to be assembled in a factory. Those torsos and legs are some of the only parts Lego has to actually assemble before you get them, which makes them far more expensive to make than a single piece.

Minifigs are clearly far more expensive to produce than the tiny Dreamzzz guys who have a single piece body with far less plastic.

Now combined that with the fact that we're getting sets like Mz Oz's Space Bus, which is $100 and comes with a paltry two minifigs.

So you can see, my logic is quite impeccable.

[Classic_Spaceman]

19 hours ago, Lion King said:

I like Dreamings from DreamZzz. They are so cute! No problem with them being immovable or having no ability to hold.

They actually can hold things. 
 

15 hours ago, danth said:

Well I didn't really explain my logic did I? Although I assumed it was obvious enough that I didn't need to.

Minifigs have a printed torso comprised 5 different parts that have to be assembled in a factory. Their legs have three separate parts that have to be assembled in a factory. Those torsos and legs are some of the only parts Lego has to actually assemble before you get them, which makes them far more expensive to make than a single piece.

Minifigs are clearly far more expensive to produce than the tiny Dreamzzz guys who have a single piece body with far less plastic.

Now combined that with the fact that we're getting sets like Mz Oz's Space Bus, which is $100 and comes with a paltry two minifigs.

So you can see, my logic is quite impeccable.

Aside from the Spacebus and Dream Village, the Dreamzzz sets have more normal Minifigs than dreamfigs; additionally, it seems like LEGO is treating dreamfigs as equal to Minifigs (aforementioned sets aside), as seen when comparing sets like 71453 and 71454 (same price, similar part count, and two ‘figs). Also, the Nightmare Shark Ship has six total ‘figs (4 Minifigs and 2 dreamfigs), as does the Destiny’s Bounty (which has more pieces and is $20 more expensive). 
Overall, the only set where I think that LEGO “cheaped” on regular Minifigs is the Spacebus. 
 

[Mylenium]

15 hours ago, danth said:

Minifigs are clearly far more expensive to produce than the tiny Dreamzzz guys who have a single piece body with far less plastic.

Just look up their own "How minifigures are produced" video. What was the number? 35000 minifigs per hour on a single fully automated production line? If after that you still believe a minifig costs more than 10 Cents, then I don't know... I'm willing to concede that one of those little drop-shaped guys perhaps costs them 3 Cent, but at the end of the day it's a tiny fraction of the cost of a whole set. And it's not like the Dreamzzz sets would be stuffed to the brim with either minifigs or those little guys and neither were Nexo Knights or Elves. So from where I'm sitting, LEGO doing this as a cost-saving measure and to spite minifig aficionados makes absolutely no sense whatsoever when we're talking about this monetary value of a set at large. Point in case: There's no intrinsic value to a minifigure or other creature beyond what it costs to produce. Everything else is just licensing fees and fanboys losing their marbles over rare Star Wars minifigs or whatever.

Mylenium

 

[danth]

So I admitted to thinking the Galidor figures were kinda cool earlier. But I didn't realize something...

They're big! Like way bigger than a Technic figure. Basically too big for any MOC I want to build. I think Belville figs are at a better scale.

I also just stumbled upon Scalla dolls, which I forgot about. I think they might be about the same size as Galidor figs.

One last semi random opinion: I don't like the Belville figs that lack elbow joints.

[Trekkie99]

On 8/11/2023 at 7:41 AM, Lion King said:

I DO like mini monsters from Power Miner theme but NOT that big ones.

This! Objectively I dislike them, but subjectively they're cool. Kinda wanna eat them lmao they look like candy.

[SpacePolice89]

The Technic and Bellville figures I don't mind because they have their own themes where minifigs wouldn't be suitable but I have a very strong dislike for the Jack Stone figures and the similar 4+ pirate figures. The Xalax Racers are just unnecessary.