The Future of Ninjago

[SonofTheShire]

No. Because TLG can't make a transparent minifig.

...Or can they?

Seriously, why not?

[Ardelon]

Crystals don't have to be colourless either. Lego have definitely done accessories and bricks before that have colour and are see through. A ninja with a transparent ninja headdress and chosen colour/silver decal'd torso and legs would look good

Transparent headdress? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of a headdress?

...Or can they?

Seriously, why not?

It has something to do with the transparent plastic having much more friction than the normal plastic. Thus making it very difficult to remove two such pieces from each other. As I wrote elsewhere, I learned it the hard way as a kid when I attached a tranparent cone to a lightsaber blade and it took my dad and some pliers to separate them. And it left dents on the lightsaber. Transparent figs = bad idea (with the current plastic).

[Darth Nihilus]

I really would love to see the Skeletons, the rumored Pirates of 2013, and the Serpentine combine forces and attempt to obliterate the ninja once and for all.

[surrideo]

I really would love to see the Skeletons, the rumored Pirates of 2013, and the Serpentine combine forces and attempt to obliterate the ninja once and for all.

They have been asking for it......

[seba]

I would like if the nijas would somehow time travel to different times like wild west,india or something else.

[LEGOman273]

I would like if the nijas would somehow time travel to different times like wild west,india or something else.

This was brought up before, but it is a good idea.

[______]

If they do end up fighting Pirates I would be most displeased, that's if they replace a possible new Pirates theme.

[Piranha]

Transparent headdress? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of a headdress?

It has something to do with the transparent plastic having much more friction than the normal plastic. Thus making it very difficult to remove two such pieces from each other. As I wrote elsewhere, I learned it the hard way as a kid when I attached a tranparent cone to a lightsaber blade and it took my dad and some pliers to separate them. And it left dents on the lightsaber. Transparent figs = bad idea (with the current plastic).

They do make transparent minifig heads that seem sturdy, I am sure if they truly wanted to make a transparent minifig for lets take another example Jedi Ghosts they could if they wanted. There was a transparent horse piece a prototype but that was a very long time ago.

So possibly but not likely as for all the testing and development. I find that reason the same as for Monorail Track and Cypress Trees.

But I would like to see Ninja vs Samurai anyone? or Pirates would be nice.

[Aanchir]

They do make transparent minifig heads that seem sturdy, I am sure if they truly wanted to make a transparent minifig for lets take another example Jedi Ghosts they could if they wanted. There was a transparent horse piece a prototype but that was a very long time ago.

So possibly but not likely as for all the testing and development. I find that reason the same as for Monorail Track and Cypress Trees.

But I would like to see Ninja vs Samurai anyone? or Pirates would be nice.

The problem is that while transparent minifigure heads are very sturdy, this is because they have no parts to attach to along high-friction connections. Transparent parts are made of polycarbonate, a different type of plastic than most solid-colored parts (which are ABS). PC parts have great friction against other PC parts, so for instance a transparent 1x1 cone will be hard to remove from a 4M lightsaber blade, and the lightsaber blade could end up with some nasty scratches as a consequence (don't try this at home).

Some connections between transparent parts, like stud-to-stud connections, cause no real problems since they are fairly easy to take apart and put together. But other connections like the one mentioned above can cause real damage. Minifigures have lots of high-friction, tiny, and fragile connection points. The connection between minifigure legs and hips can be damaged just by taking them apart and putting them together. Likewise for the connection between hands and arms, or between arms and torsos. Making these connections PC-against-PC could make it possible for the parts to become damaged just from regular use.

Since transparent minifigures like Jedi ghosts or the Invisible Man were fairly popular suggestions in the "What Minifigures Are We Missing?" topic in EB's Embassy subforum, I made a point of asking about whether these were possible when a minifigure designer was present at the TLG Q&A session at last August's Brickfair convention in Chantilly, Virginia. Sure enough, TLG has attempted to create transparent minifigures in the past, but none have cleared quality control, hence the reason they don't appear in LEGO sets. Of course, the designer present also reinforced that it's a continuing process, and that it's possible someday a transparent minifigure will be possible. However, I don't think that this will be any time within the foreseeable future. Not unless TLG discovers some new plastic with the same clutch power and level of transparency as PC without this major drawback.

[horizon]

The problem is that while transparent minifigure heads are very sturdy, this is because they have no parts to attach to along high-friction connections. Transparent parts are made of polycarbonate, a different type of plastic than most solid-colored parts (which are ABS). PC parts have great friction against other PC parts, so for instance a transparent 1x1 cone will be hard to remove from a 4M lightsaber blade, and the lightsaber blade could end up with some nasty scratches as a consequence (don't try this at home).

Some connections between transparent parts, like stud-to-stud connections, cause no real problems since they are fairly easy to take apart and put together. But other connections like the one mentioned above can cause real damage. Minifigures have lots of high-friction, tiny, and fragile connection points. The connection between minifigure legs and hips can be damaged just by taking them apart and putting them together. Likewise for the connection between hands and arms, or between arms and torsos. Making these connections PC-against-PC could make it possible for the parts to become damaged just from regular use.

Since transparent minifigures like Jedi ghosts or the Invisible Man were fairly popular suggestions in the "What Minifigures Are We Missing?" topic in EB's Embassy subforum, I made a point of asking about whether these were possible when a minifigure designer was present at the TLG Q&A session at last August's Brickfair convention in Chantilly, Virginia. Sure enough, TLG has attempted to create transparent minifigures in the past, but none have cleared quality control, hence the reason they don't appear in LEGO sets. Of course, the designer present also reinforced that it's a continuing process, and that it's possible someday a transparent minifigure will be possible. However, I don't think that this will be any time within the foreseeable future. Not unless TLG discovers some new plastic with the same clutch power and level of transparency as PC without this major drawback.

Invisible Frodo would be a minifig to want for LEGO. So I indeed expect them to pursue the path of transparent minifigs.

[Flipz]

Invisible Frodo would be a minifig to want for LEGO. So I indeed expect them to pursue the path of transparent minifigs.

It's not whether they're pursuing it or not, it's whether or not the technology has advanced enough yet during that pursuit. So far, technology still lags behind our imaginations in that regard, but perhaps in the future the LEGO research team will make a breakthrough.

To get this back on-topic: if the next wave of Ninjago were to combine Ninjago with any other theme, past, present, or announced but not yet released, which one would you choose and why?

[Darth Nihilus]

To get this back on-topic: if the next wave of Ninjago were to combine Ninjago with any other theme, past, present, or announced but not yet released, which one would you choose and why?

Dino. Because Dinos vs. Ninjas vs. Hunters would be epic.

[Piranha]

The problem is that while transparent minifigure heads are very sturdy, this is because they have no parts to attach to along high-friction connections. Transparent parts are made of polycarbonate, a different type of plastic than most solid-colored parts (which are ABS). PC parts have great friction against other PC parts, so for instance a transparent 1x1 cone will be hard to remove from a 4M lightsaber blade, and the lightsaber blade could end up with some nasty scratches as a consequence (don't try this at home).

Some connections between transparent parts, like stud-to-stud connections, cause no real problems since they are fairly easy to take apart and put together. But other connections like the one mentioned above can cause real damage. Minifigures have lots of high-friction, tiny, and fragile connection points. The connection between minifigure legs and hips can be damaged just by taking them apart and putting them together. Likewise for the connection between hands and arms, or between arms and torsos. Making these connections PC-against-PC could make it possible for the parts to become damaged just from regular use.

Since transparent minifigures like Jedi ghosts or the Invisible Man were fairly popular suggestions in the "What Minifigures Are We Missing?" topic in EB's Embassy subforum, I made a point of asking about whether these were possible when a minifigure designer was present at the TLG Q&A session at last August's Brickfair convention in Chantilly, Virginia. Sure enough, TLG has attempted to create transparent minifigures in the past, but none have cleared quality control, hence the reason they don't appear in LEGO sets. Of course, the designer present also reinforced that it's a continuing process, and that it's possible someday a transparent minifigure will be possible. However, I don't think that this will be any time within the foreseeable future. Not unless TLG discovers some new plastic with the same clutch power and level of transparency as PC without this major drawback.

Great post and thanks for the information.

as for what theme to combine I would pick Pirates because that would be an original idea not done by TLG before.

[MakutaNocturn]

Ninja vs. steam-punk Robots. Like Bioshock Infinite (game :P). These villians will have big airships and special mech suits for fights. Do you like this idea?

[sharky]

How do you guys know that NinjaGo theme has been such a huge success? I didn't notice anything telling me so in shops, such as shortage of sets. On the contrary, the individual character sets are constantly 50% off in several shops around here.

I recall Lego saying as much in press releases. Of course now that I mention it, I can't recall where I saw that. I think people are also inferring it is successful due to more waves of sets being released and the fact that they created a cartoon based on it.

I have a good idea! How about...

Ninja VS. Robots?

Isn't there a large robot coming up this year?

As long as Lego throws me a bone once in a while with what I feel are steampunk inspired sets like Destiny's Bounty I can live with the zaniness of Ninjago. I am kind of digging that large robot.

[Lyichir]

As long as Lego throws me a bone once in a while with what I feel are steampunk inspired sets like Destiny's Bounty I can live with the zaniness of Ninjago. I am kind of digging that large robot.

When I first saw some of the new Ninjago parts from the first year, my first thought was how much steampunk builders would appreciate this theme. Gold lightsaber blades, gold 6M bars, the gold "nunchuck handles" and as of this year, gold lightsaber handles. I'm not much of a steampunk builder myself, but I imagine these parts would make great piping.

[Piranha]

When I first saw some of the new Ninjago parts from the first year, my first thought was how much steampunk builders would appreciate this theme. Gold lightsaber blades, gold 6M bars, the gold "nunchuck handles" and as of this year, gold lightsaber handles. I'm not much of a steampunk builder myself, but I imagine these parts would make great piping.

I always had wished they had made those in chrome gold.

In a future set I would also like to see throwing stars (shiruken ?), but not soft plastic, hard plastic like 4L blades are made of.

Edited February 10, 2012 by Macoco

[Flipz]

In a future set I would also like to see throwing stars (shiruken ?), but not soft plastic, hard plastic like 4L blades are made of.

I suddenly envision children en masse wearing band-aids over fingers they punctured with the tips of hard plastic shurikens...

I do want some shurikens in black and gray, though--gold can get old.

Actually, now that I think of it... "A mysterious sorcerer is stealing the color from Ninjago! Only the five Ninja and Samurai X can stop them!"

(Sort of off-topic, but will Nya continue to go by the name Samurai X after the identity is revealed, or will the name become "Samurai Nya"?)

[Piranha]

I suddenly envision children en masse wearing band-aids over fingers they punctured with the tips of hard plastic shurikens...

I do want some shurikens in black and gray, though--gold can get old.

I would imagine a fig could grip it like the ring from LOTR or a 1x1 round stud. Solid top design and then the center is hollow.

Edited February 10, 2012 by Macoco

[Aanchir]

The reason the shurikens are rubber rather than hard plastic is probably the same reason a lot of parts like Exo-Force hair, Kit Fisto's head, and the Collectible Minifigure spear tips are rubber-- ABS doesn't like forming into sharp tips, and is liable to break at the tip unless it's of a certain thickness all the way down.

[Flipz]

The reason the shurikens are rubber rather than hard plastic is probably the same reason a lot of parts like Exo-Force hair, Kit Fisto's head, and the Collectible Minifigure spear tips are rubber-- ABS doesn't like forming into sharp tips, and is liable to break at the tip unless it's of a certain thickness all the way down.

Not to mention, something that hard and that pointy would be sharp--and if it was so brittle it broke off in the wound...