Hero Factory 2012

[Shakar]

That would rock. We need more transparent cladding.

[Anduril]

I asked customer service at lego.com when Breez would be released in the U.S. and the answer I got was: the set you inquired about should be available to launch in August. I don't understand this because other countries and set reviews received Breez already. Does anyone have any idea if breez might be coming sooner?(Sorry I didn't read the previous page )

Edited February 1, 2012 by Anduril

[Charmander11]

You can get all of Breez's and presumably Thornraxxs on Pick A Brick now, it costs alot more, but at least we can get them now :D

[Mesonak]

You can't get Thornraxx's head piece, azure limbs, or wings from what I can see, but yes, everything else appears to be available from both sets. Quite good. I think I'll be making an order soon.

Very disappointed that they removed quite a few older pieces and did not add any of the cladding from the Ultrabuild range, but oh well. I ezpect we'll see many parts removed from Recon Team soon as well.

[Nightcruise]

I wish they kept the older parts, I need them for MOCs. I had $85 dollars worth I was going to get with my college check, now 95% of what I needed is gone. Its hard to create new characters using the retro helmets and new body armor. Thats what I loved about 2.0, recolor the helmet part, make a mod to the head gear, do a new color combo, boom new character.

[Mesonak]

I predict some Bricklink sellers are going to be getting a lot of business soon

At least the parts are still available there. A silver lining for some, I'm sure, though I know quite a few people are wary of buying from Bricklink.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Mesonak

[dviddy]

Man, I'm getting tired of this "when will Breez show up thing".

If someone in Europe wants to send one to me, I'll gladly Paypal back.

[Vinyl Scratch]

So Breez and Thornraxx ARE Summer Breakout sets after all, at least in the USA. PLEASE MATA NUI don't have them as summer sets here, I would rage so hard...

Anyway, I was in Wikipedia checkin' out if there were any (faux) rumors of 2013, found nothing, but Wikipedia has voice actors for the Breakout villains on the movie.

Take it however you wish:

Black Phantom - Mark Hamill (So glad Mark Hamill is voicing Black Phantom, I knew that Phantom had a familiar voice)

Toxic Reapa - Joel Swetow (Meltdown's voice? They do sound similar)

Jawblade - Jeff Glenn Bennett (I can't remember if Jawblade spoke in the Furno vs. Jawblade video...)

Splitface - Fred Tatasciore (Kinda saw it coming, really sounds like him though)

Hero Factory really has a minimal ammount of voice actors for so many characters, it's like these guys are regulars for Villains or something.

...

Not saying I hate that decision, they are fantastic voice actors.

[Antrozek]

So Breez and Thornraxx ARE Summer Breakout sets after all, at least in the USA. PLEASE MATA NUI don't have them as summer sets here, I would rage so hard...

Anyway, I was in Wikipedia checkin' out if there were any (faux) rumors of 2013, found nothing, but Wikipedia has voice actors for the Breakout villains on the movie.

Take it however you wish:

Black Phantom - Mark Hamill (So glad Mark Hamill is voicing Black Phantom, I knew that Phantom had a familiar voice)

Toxic Reapa - Joel Swetow (Meltdown's voice? They do sound similar)

Jawblade - Jeff Glenn Bennett (I can't remember if Jawblade spoke in the Furno vs. Jawblade video...)

Splitface - Fred Tatasciore (Kinda saw it coming, really sounds like him though)

Hero Factory really has a minimal ammount of voice actors for so many characters, it's like these guys are regulars for Villains or something.

...

Not saying I hate that decision, they are fantastic voice actors.

and in the next 3 years these will be the voice actors for the villains

Mark hamill - weird old bad dude with a staff that comes in the BIG BOX

Fred tatasciore - some brute

Jeff Glenn Bennett - that villain no one remembers

Joel Swetow - The ugly one

Edited February 2, 2012 by Antrozek

[Shakar]

Really happy they updated Pick-a-Brick with the new HF stuff, but I din't except them to take away so much stuff :(

I guess I'll have to buy another Recon Hero to get at least half of the stuff I needed, and I better hurry up too.

[DOTM Shockwave]

It sucks that Lego removed some of the older HF parts from the PaB service, but I guess the new parts they added is a good thing.

[Shakar]

They deleted a whole lot of pieces I needed too, like the lime viking horns (I don't want to salvage my beloved Nocturn for them) and the gunmetal Exo Force robot arms- and that's just the tip of the iceberg AFAIC. Maybe the 2011 parts hurt sales for Hero Recon Team- afterall, I thought I'd have never bought another one, but now I have to. But I guess Aaanchir's post on BZP explains it far better.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Shakar

[MakutaDreadscythe]

Not to be off topic, but my thoughts of a trans-stringer gave me a concept idea for future release. If they can make trans-shell pieces, why not trans-bone pieces? You know, like they glow under the armor?

[Bfahome]

Well they did that with BIONICLE, so it's not impossible.

[CabooseBM]

I like the idea, I've always wanted a dude who looked like some energy being in armor.

I just don't know how feasible it is with HF bones, transparent plastic isn't the sturdiest stuff around, after all, and HF bones have really sturdily designed sockets. It might not be the best combination.

[Bfahome]

I like the idea, I've always wanted a dude who looked like some energy being in armor.

I just don't know how feasible it is with HF bones, transparent plastic isn't the sturdiest stuff around, after all, and HF bones have really sturdily designed sockets. It might not be the best combination.

I thought that at first, but I don't think it'd be a big issue. The socket walls may be thicker than past designs, but the cup is also more open.

There are already trans sockets in sets like Reapa, since their heads are attached like Rahkshi.

[Dorek]

Well they did that with BIONICLE, so it's not impossible.

When'd that happen? Inika. Durr. It's been a while since we've seen them, though. However, since they like them for armor pieces, I can definitely see a resurgence.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Dorek

[DOTM Shockwave]

I'll love to see transparent bone pieces, and more armor shells.

Edited February 2, 2012 by DOTM Shockwave

[Aanchir]

The problem with transparent bone pieces is the physical differece between the material used for transparent parts, polycarbonate, and the material used for solid-colored parts, ABS. Polycarbonate, unlike ABS, has a great deal of friction with other polycarbonate parts. Anyone who has attached a transparent cone to a lightsaber blade can attest to this (to those who haven't, don't try it-- removing the cone is extremely difficult and usually creates scratches in the lightsaber blade).

A polycarbonate part connected to an ABS part can be taken apart and put together without much difficulty. The same can be said of two ABS parts. Even two polycarbonate parts can be attached and separated easily if their connection is not particularly strong, like a stud-to-anti-stud connection between two basic bricks or plates.

But two polycarbonate parts attached with a high-friction connection, like a ball joint, will often be extremely hard to separate. As it is, both BIONICLE and Hero Factory have had ball cups and ball snaps in transparent colors, but never an actual ball joint to connect to them, and I imagine this is probably the reason.

Incidentally, this is also the reason why completely-transparent minifigures have never been released in sets. Most of this information comes from here.

[TheRedGuy]

The problem with transparent bone pieces is the physical differece between the material used for transparent parts, polycarbonate, and the material used for solid-colored parts, ABS. Polycarbonate, unlike ABS, has a great deal of friction with other polycarbonate parts. Anyone who has attached a transparent cone to a lightsaber blade can attest to this (to those who haven't, don't try it-- removing the cone is extremely difficult and usually creates scratches in the lightsaber blade).

Good point. Although, I've seen it with non-transparent pieces aswell. I bought this set some time ago, and the black cone pieces won't get off. And yes, it's still stuck there.

[Front]

The problem with transparent bone pieces is the physical differece between the material used for transparent parts, polycarbonate, and the material used for solid-colored parts, ABS.

Polycarbonate is also used for solid colored parts. All ball cups are made of it.

I have played with 90617 in clear transparent, and it works more or less like the solid colored parts. At least I can't feel a difference.

And yes, I've also told the HF designers to bring more transparent parts. I would like to see a blue-boned figure with yellow shells.

Erland, Part Design

[vexorian]

I think the shape matters more than the material, and elasticity is more useful than roughness in preventing breaking. But I don't really know.

Edit: Wrote that before Front's post.

I'd really rather all bones stayed in neutral colors. What was great about 2.0 was that since all bones were black, it was a lot easier to make models of different colors. If bones begin getting too much color variety it will get very difficult to find enough pieces for MoCs. In fact, please TLG, make all bones black from now on.

Edited February 2, 2012 by vexorian

[Dorek]

Polycarbonate is also used for solid colored parts. All ball cups are made of it.

I have played with 90617 in clear transparent, and it works more or less like the solid colored parts. At least I can't feel a difference.

And yes, I've also told the HF designers to bring more transparent parts. I would like to see a blue-boned figure with yellow shells.

Erland, Part Design

Oh god yes. Blue and yellow/orange (especially keetorange) is my most favorite color scheme ever.

[Aanchir]

Polycarbonate is also used for solid colored parts. All ball cups are made of it.

I have played with 90617 in clear transparent, and it works more or less like the solid colored parts. At least I can't feel a difference.

And yes, I've also told the HF designers to bring more transparent parts. I would like to see a blue-boned figure with yellow shells.

Erland, Part Design

That's useful info. Thanks for correcting me! I wonder if we might see transparent bone pieces in the future, then...

Granted, I'm not sure what types of figures would look especially nice with transparent bone pieces. I did like Toa Inika Jaller and Toa Inika Matoro, as well as Takadox and Nocturn, and those all used transparent joint pieces.

[SpiderSpaceman]

The problem with transparent bone pieces is the physical differece between the material used for transparent parts, polycarbonate, and the material used for solid-colored parts, ABS. Polycarbonate, unlike ABS, has a great deal of friction with other polycarbonate parts. Anyone who has attached a transparent cone to a lightsaber blade can attest to this (to those who haven't, don't try it-- removing the cone is extremely difficult and usually creates scratches in the lightsaber blade).

A polycarbonate part connected to an ABS part can be taken apart and put together without much difficulty. The same can be said of two ABS parts. Even two polycarbonate parts can be attached and separated easily if their connection is not particularly strong, like a stud-to-anti-stud connection between two basic bricks or plates.

But two polycarbonate parts attached with a high-friction connection, like a ball joint, will often be extremely hard to separate. As it is, both BIONICLE and Hero Factory have had ball cups and ball snaps in transparent colors, but never an actual ball joint to connect to them, and I imagine this is probably the reason.

Incidentally, this is also the reason why completely-transparent minifigures have never been released in sets. Most of this information comes from here.

only PC on ABS (unless it's not), but I'm never gonna get the cone off the tip of one of my Lunar Limo.. gun.. stick.. things.

Front, are these always polycarbonate?

Edited February 2, 2012 by SpiderSpaceman