A Lego Sandbox

[Lalror]

The whole aspect of digital Lego’s is possibly one of the most interesting things that Lego has done. By not having any physical pieces people can animate them, and create amazing worlds as evidenced in Lego Universe. Without these physical limits, people don’t have to spend a buck, and yet build the biggest Lego creation of their life. Lego Digital Designer is a great program, epically the Lego Universe Mode, and I am exited to see how these tools will be improved in the future.

One thing, that I think Lego nailed head on, was the “properties” in Lego Universe. Actually having a minifig, that you can control, and explore the models you created with, definitely adds something to the whole experience. This is definitely something I would like to experience outside of Lego Universe. I have mentioned this to Lego several times, but I would pay a hundred bucks for a complete Lego sandbox. I would love to be able to create a minifig using every Lego piece I want, and then build a world that I could explore using that minifig. Other computer games have tried to have good “sandbox’s,” but when it all comes down, they are either too simple, or way to complicated to get anywhere with, or the amount of customization results in a bunch of junk. Lego bricks, are by far the best way to accomplish this, although there are good, and bad models, I think that anybody can build whatever they want, if given enough time.

I think to accomplish this, Lego first needs to add a few more tools to their current digital programs. One of these would be a terrain mode. I know one of my biggest disappointments with the TT games, (although I still love them incredibly,) is the large amount of non-Lego surroundings. Common people, there are a billion ways to make Lego trees, bushes, buildings, anything, that's what Lego is about. But the one thing I did realize was that for the ground, you really can’t use normal Lego pieces. I have seen many people do very nice landscapes using Lego bricks, but I know that it would simply look better if it were smoother and more realistic. Details of this “terrain” mode would include basic 3D sculpting to create things like hills and gorges etc. It would also include a paint mode that would provide a variety of textures and colors that would be used to create forest ground, snow, and deserts. Just this tool alone would be a welcome feature to the ever growing Lego Digital Designer.

One more thing that Lego really has to do one of these days, and do right, is make a “complete” minifig creator. The best minifig maker in terms of customization is found in the games that are produced by TT, second, comes the one in Lego Digital Designer’s LU Mode, and third is probably the Lego Universe Minifig creator. What needs to happen is that Lego just needs to add all of the minifig pieces into one place. How hard can that possibly be. The LU mode in LDD has nice options in terms of being able to choose a decal for the shirt, and then color it, and this needs to be expanded to include all of the Lego cloths designs. I don’t know about others, but even when I go through a dark age, the one thing that I can still do is pick up some arms and legs and build a great looking minifig. Minifig’s are Lego’s trademark these days, and it would be great to be able to create them digitally.

Creation is what Lego is all about; a Lego sandbox is creation in its purest form, and I would love to see it happen.

~Lalror