Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[Wesley D]

I have the impression they scaled the amount of story down in Assembly Square and Downtown Diner. I'm glad with that, as the cookie smuggling route and the money laundry used a lot of the limited number of bricks while it felt a bit out of place to me, more like an exagerated inside joke.

[ddavid]

10 minutes ago, Wesley D said:

The cookie smuggling route and the money laundry used a lot of the limited number of bricks while it felt a bit out of place to me, more like an exagerated inside joke.

I don't like the giant chimney in the Brick Bank (this was a waste of bricks and adds limited play value to something that is not really designed to play), but the money loundry joke was genius and didn't require any additional bricks.

A storyline of sorts tied the modular together (Detectives office and cookie scheme, the money laundering: a bank and a laundromat, or a bakery and the dentist upstairs in AS). In Downtown Diner each floor seems to be accupied randomly by a different renter. The days of one purpose modulars are gone, but I would still like some consistancy between floors.

Edited November 24, 2018 by ddavid

[Bricked1980]

23 minutes ago, Wesley D said:

I have the impression they scaled the amount of story down in Assembly Square and Downtown Diner. I'm glad with that, as the cookie smuggling route and the money laundry used a lot of the limited number of bricks while it felt a bit out of place to me, more like an exagerated inside joke.

I don't mind a bit of story or characterisation with the minifigs, but I think they over did it with DO. The cookie smuggling storyline was far too ingrained in to the building for my liking. That was the one thing that put me off buying that particular set.

[Comon27]

Hi guys, first time poster :) 
I've been following the thread from the outside for 4 years now and this long wait for the modulars has made me finally join in!
 

I bought the Vestas Turbine yesterday. Haven't built it yet but it looks like a great set. I know lego is using this set to promote their new plant pieces and how they are being eco friendly. It could be possible that the modular has some sort of "environmentally friendly" appeal. Solar panel shop? (seems like a hard sell) But something along those lines. I thought a garden centre themed shop but we already got a flower shop in AS.

I'm personally hoping for a post office with an apartment on top. 

JH

[NewTown]

Sorry if already posted but the new modular appears to have a post office if the photos I just saw on YouTube are real.

EDIT - nevermind, appears to be a MOC (a good one)

Edited November 24, 2018 by NewTown

[LegoModularFan]

1 hour ago, Comon27 said:

Hi guys, first time poster :) 
I've been following the thread from the outside for 4 years now and this long wait for the modulars has made me finally join in!

Great to hear, welcome to Eurobricks! Hope you'll enjoy your stay! 

1 hour ago, Comon27 said:

I know lego is using this set to promote their new plant pieces and how they are being eco friendly. It could be possible that the modular has some sort of "environmentally friendly" appeal. Solar panel shop? (seems like a hard sell) But something along those lines. I thought a garden centre themed shop but we already got a flower shop in AS.

I think this would be great. I hope it won't look too modern if it ever happens though.

1 hour ago, NewTown said:

Sorry if already posted but the new modular appears to have a post office if the photos I just saw on YouTube are real.

 EDIT - nevermind, appears to be a MOC (a good one)

Haha, bet it's @Bricked1980's post office MOC... 

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by LegoModularFan

[BrickFit26]

2 hours ago, Comon27 said:

I'm personally hoping for a post office with an apartment on top. 

JH

Same. It would be cool. But I doubt it.

[Kalahari134]

In my view, PR struck the balance just right. The ring provides an opportunity for a story without many extra pieces. You are free to take it either way or omit it altogether if you want. 

Edited November 25, 2018 by Kalahari134

[AusMinifig]

Fingers crossed we get an official announcement this week or next?! We’ll be a month out from the usual release date of Jan 1. Hoping it’s not a police set, but would probably still buy it. Haha I’m still wishful thinking for a museum at some point, I was hoping the caveman exhibit in the city capital was a hint  

[Bricked1980]

46 minutes ago, LegoModularFan said:

Haha, bet it's @Bricked1980's post office MOC... 

Think that post office fiasco is gonna haunt me forever. 

30 minutes ago, AusMinifig said:

Fingers crossed we get an official announcement this week or next?! We’ll be a month out from the usual release date of Jan 1

Surely we will know the identity of the new set by this time next week. By then it should have been featured in the January store calendar.

Edited November 25, 2018 by Bricked1980

[NewTown]

3 hours ago, Bricked1980 said:

Think that post office fiasco is gonna haunt me forever. 

Surely we will know the identity of the new set by this time next week. By then it should have been featured in the January store calendar.

Do you happen to have an LDD file for your post office?

[ncx]

4 minutes ago, NewTown said:

Do you happen to have an LDD file for your post office?

I think he answered this question before, and someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think he said no.  I would pay for instructions for this gorgeous design. 

[Agent 86]

9 hours ago, Wesley D said:

I have the impression they scaled the amount of story down in Assembly Square and Downtown Diner. I'm glad with that, as the cookie smuggling route and the money laundry used a lot of the limited number of bricks while it felt a bit out of place to me, more like an exagerated inside joke.

I agree. Thankfully, it seems that they’re moving away from such dedicated “story telling” elements in the builds.

[ReplicaOfLife]

11 hours ago, LegoModularFan said:

I’m not sure if this has been already said before (if it’s, I’m sorry) but I started to wonder if we may get a normal modular and a re-release this year as there are two modulars retiring in the same time...

Don't get your hopes up. Grand Emporium and Town Hall retired at the same time aswell (much to the surprise of everyone, including myself, in the latter case). There also were years were no modular retired, and still we got a new one ;)

One thing I wonder: Did both DO and BB only get one production run, while PR got two (which would mean that DO was a really slow seller or BB was a fast one), or is it more convoluted, i.e PR maybe being into it's third production run, DO getting two and BB already being retired after it's first?

9 hours ago, Wesley D said:

I have the impression they scaled the amount of story down in Assembly Square and Downtown Diner. I'm glad with that, as the cookie smuggling route and the money laundry used a lot of the limited number of bricks while it felt a bit out of place to me, more like an exagerated inside joke.

Yep! Those were really bad ideas.

Still can't get over how badly stuck on the laundromat part of BB looks... That set would've looked so much better if they had just given it a second full facade for the bank - it wouldn't even have had to exactly mirror the existing one, imho, there's enough possibilities to change things up without adding on a fake facade of another building.

[Daniel-Technic]

Is there any clue to what the next one will be?

[The_Nev]

46 minutes ago, Daniel-Technic said:

Is there any clue to what the next one will be?

Only real clue so far is from Lego's reply to someone asking what it will be next year and if it will be a Police Station. Their reply was "its the sound of the police! You'll have to wait to find out" (paraphrased) you can see the actual reply 2 or so pages back. But that could mean anything or nothing. Apart from that, rest is speculation and rumours with no substantial evidence. I think this is the first year that Lego has successfully kept it un-leaked! Not going to touch wood, because there's still time for a sneak peak...

[Mosse1997]

12 hours ago, Comon27 said:

I bought the Vestas Turbine yesterday. Haven't built it yet but it looks like a great set. I know lego is using this set to promote their new plant pieces and how they are being eco friendly. It could be possible that the modular has some sort of "environmentally friendly" appeal. Solar panel shop? (seems like a hard sell) But something along those lines. I thought a garden centre themed shop but we already got a flower shop in AS.

Environmental friendly appeal would be cool! Solar roof should not be hard to add to whatever building they will make, but I could also imagine EV Charger on the pavement or in some kind of parking space. (wonder how a 3 story parking garage in modular style would look like)

BTW I did also order the Vestas Wind Turbine, looking forward to build it.

Edited November 25, 2018 by Mosse1997
Misspelled

[Kalahari134]

5 hours ago, RogerSmith said:

Still can't get over how badly stuck on the laundromat part of BB looks... That set would've looked so much better if they had just given it a second full facade for the bank - it wouldn't even have had to exactly mirror the existing one, imho, there's enough possibilities to change things up without adding on a fake facade of another building.

With the retirement announcement, I've just taken delivery of a second BB so that I can make the Bank full-sized and turn the Laundromat into a 16w.

[RuffDraft]

Fingers crossed for a Cyber-Monday announcement - come on, Lego - you can do it!!! 

I honestly don't mind what we get... just as long as the modular line continues for another few decades, which I'm sure it will!

If I had to say what I'd like though, I'd go with the unpopular choice of having a Police Station. I get that we already have the Detective's Office, but I think a town needs a police station. You can always have the fancy detective, but the police protect the city; the detective solves the unsolvable crimes. Either that, or a hospital. 

I'm not keen on other police sets. I'd like a mature building - one for grown ups, rather than all that blue window stuff that we seem to get with the City sets. If it was done with a really nice facade, I think everyone would fall in love with it! 

That said, everyone here has great ideas, and I'd honestly love a Post Office too, after seeing the MOC! 

Edited November 25, 2018 by RuffDraft

[BrickFit26]

11 hours ago, RogerSmith said:

Still can't get over how badly stuck on the laundromat part of BB looks... That set would've looked so much better if they had just given it a second full facade for the bank - it wouldn't even have had to exactly mirror the existing one, imho, there's enough possibilities to change things up without adding on a fake facade of another building.

Agreed. Rhe laundry mat wouldnhave looked better if it was incorporated into Condon/apartment modular.

5 hours ago, Kalahari134 said:

With the retirement announcement, I've just taken delivery of a second BB so that I can make the Bank full-sized and turn the Laundromat into a 16w.

Is the Brick Bank really set for retirement or is itnjust speculation? In the latest LEGO catalog the DO was on the page that was listed for retirement but I disnt see the BB there.

[nikhkin]

4 minutes ago, BrickFit26 said:

Is the Brick Bank really set for retirement or is itnjust speculation? In the latest LEGO catalog the DO was on the page that was listed for retirement but I disnt see the BB there.

https://shop.lego.com/en-GB/Brick-Bank-10251

[LegoModularFan]

21 minutes ago, RuffDraft said:

Fingers crossed for a Cyber-Monday announcement - come on, Lego - you can do it!!! 

Same here! I wonder when it could to be revealed if not tomorrow, perhaps the 29th of November (just as the Downtown Diner)? But I would really prefer tomorrow as I literally can't wait to see how it looks anymore...

[RuffDraft]

44 minutes ago, LegoModularFan said:

Same here! I wonder when it could to be revealed if not tomorrow, perhaps the 29th of November (just as the Downtown Diner)? But I would really prefer tomorrow as I literally can't wait to see how it looks anymore...

Yes, or maybe the 28th November, as that will also be a Wednesday? 

To be honest, I think the Downtown Diner video was shown earlier than planned last year due to the leak. I think it may be December 1st... one month before... I think that makes more sense to be honest... but I'm a newbie really... I've only been into them for 15 months or so, so the Downtown Diner was my first witnessing of an announcement... really excited too though! I just picked up the Grand Emporium today on eBay (new) for Christmas... so I'm super excited for that, and then I don't really mind when I get the new modular. I might wait for this time next year to get it in a Black Friday sale... I have a lot to catch up on and not a lot of spare time... 

Like you say though, I just can't wait to see what it is that they've been working on!!! 

[Faefrost]

I’m leaning towards a Police Station or Post Office. Just because those would be good “gateway” subjects to attract the younger City folk over to the more Adult modular line as they age. FB was fantastic for that, which is why it probably holds the record as most common first modular with collectors. The only other subject I could see having quite as much play value appeal would be something like a Mechanics Garage. 

The Brick Banks biggest flaw is not so much the Laundromat, as it is the fact that it was made a Corner Building. It would have been better as a straight front facing building. Similarly the DD should have been the corner. Nothing looks good attached to the awning side of it. 

[Johnny1360]

I have been reading with great interest all the speculation and reasoning behind what the next modular will be, quite a lot of reading in fact, very insightful, well thought out explanations too. So with all that I feel the next modular will be a school of some sort. Of course I have no evidence to back up my prediction, just a feeling. We shall see.