Question is: when is detail "too much" and when is it necessary? Take my avatar for example. Is there anyone who would prefer the old print?

I think the screen Kashyyyk trooper is indefinitely better represented by the 2014 version just thanks to the detailed camo print, even if the they had not updated the helmet mold to be more accurate.

Question is: when is detail "too much" and when is it necessary? Take my avatar for example. Is there anyone who would prefer the old print?

I would. The color scheme is flexible and fitting to many more environments on the CTT version.

Also, his eyes aren't coming out of his hair.

Edited August 18, 201410 yr by Lind Whisperer

I prefer simpler minifigures. A lot of minifigures in this wave are overdetailed. It's important that TLG capture the look of the character in the minifigure as well as keeping the overall design simple.

Edited August 18, 201410 yr by Tariq j

Too many details take the cuteness-factor away from the figs, which I don't like really...

I think most current minifigs are simply great! But maybe too many details will be a problem in 5-10 years...

I'm fine with the current level of detail. The only thing I'm not always fond of is cheekbones as it doesn't suit a lot of characters (Luke in particular, although his current face is still more Mark Hamill-like than his previous ones)

I wouldn't want to see too much more detailed added on top of what we have now for future minifigures though. Arm and side leg printing is fine, but printed ears and noses on the heads is taking it too far.

When it comes to detail it's not just the printing, it's the moulds as well, Just look at the Clone Scout Troopers above, the new helmet is just so bad, the first remould of the Stormtrooper helmets (the current ones) are far too big for their heads.

I have to disagree on that one. It is one thing to say the helmet mold is ugly, but it is another to say it is bad. The new Kashyyyk trooper is far more screen accurare, including the helmet model, than the old one.

Just take a look:

The old one does not even remotely capture the look of this. Wrong model, wrong printing in terms of camo pattern and colours. The new one has its weakness in the too small visor print, but it still is indefinetely better than the old version - which is in no small part a result of the advanced printing techniques.

I can understand where things can go wrong when it comes to lots of detail in the design of minifigures.

I think it shows more with some custom designed figures... when people don't follow Lego's design guidelines when it comes to things like line thickness, use of colours, gradients etc.

I actually think the Luke in the Ewok Village is one of the best minifigures we've had in recent years... there's just something about the black costume with the turned down collar that just makes the figure... it's a perfect representation of Luke in ROTJ.

I'm also a big fan of the Rebel pilots. I think Lego has pretty much always got the helmets right... even the early Biggs helmet still looks right... no need to change it at all... but I like the differences between the regular pilots and the Hoth pilots now too.

I think the detail in the torso printing has reached the point it needs to stay at now. My only gripe is with the face printing as its too much, such as on the new Luke.

I have to disagree on that one. It is one thing to say the helmet mold is ugly, but it is another to say it is bad. The new Kashyyyk trooper is far more screen accurare, including the helmet model, than the old one.

The old one does not even remotely capture the look of this. Wrong model, wrong printing in terms of camo pattern and colours. The new one has its weakness in the too small visor print, but it still is indefinetely better than the old version - which is in no small part a result of the advanced printing techniques.

It may be more screen accurate, but it doesn't work on minifig sized figures, look at the eye level on it, that's the figs forehead. TLG has always been great at capturing the essence of the figure is question, the old helmet mould got the scout trooper idea across and the pattern (though the wrong green) also resembled the CGI version nicely.

Well the old helmet mould was ok for the Imperial scout trooper. But for the clone Kashyyyk trooper it is totally inadequate. These are two different helmets. They share the basic design features, as to be recognizable as related to one another, but they are different. Hence a new helmet was needed and welcome from my part. Yes, the visor printing is a bit off, I did say that already. (Although it should be noted that many visors nowadays are too high, not only those of SW minifigs; it is even a design feature of Batman. Of course, Lego helmets have never been terribly realistic, when it comes to size). Other than that it is about as close as it gets.

Onto the main point, the details. While I do understand that some people dislike the model for aesthetic reasons, even though it is screen accurate (and I need to stress that again!), I cannot understand how anyone could prefer the old less detailed printing. Neither the colour nor the "pattern" resembles anything on screen:

I personally would not even call that a pattern, much less an accurate one. There is so much wrong, and it is not just the colour. It is a result of the inferior printing technique applied; just six splotches to make a pattern. I am absolutely fine if you like the old one, it is just that I for one fail to see anything good about it. It is a repainted Imperial scout trooper - one badly repainted.

Good question.

Now for some reason I do think that the simplier times of minifigures, like the yellow versions, or before the detail of minfigures are as they are now, is a lot better in my opinion in terms of between 1999 and 2009. There is something about the older minifigures that has this unique charm about each character from all other Lego sets before '99 to after '99 to '09'. I just find them that they still capture the characters look, like yellow Qui Gon, to the likes of yellow Ben Kenobi as an example. Sure the detail of the newer minifigures might be more accurate to the movie etc, but the older ones to me have something special about them.

Just that mixture of Star Wars and Lego-ish charm coming together to put a smile on your face.

Edited October 10, 201410 yr by AudiBobaR5-D2

There is definitely a fine line on how much detail is enough. I like a lot of newer versions of figures more than earlier adaptations, but that is mostly because I started buying with the new. I probably wouldn't need updated versions of the MF line-up otherwise. Sure, new prints are great, but the figures looked pretty solid before all of the changes happened.

I am disappointed with the constant changes in army building type figures. You have your army going strong, then all of a sudden they start to look different when they should all look the same. I realize, it's a business and LEGO wants to make money. And they know people will shell out more money for newer figures that look good. But there has to be an endpoint somewhere right? Why bother buying any army builders if they are just going to change the helmet mold/print or add some tiny detail that throws off the army style. Might as well wait until they are done changing them and then army build. By then, LEGO would have quit making money on updated figures so they would quit doing it... (my silly speculation of course).

Then, how many people are truly army builders? The ones who truly army build is a minority among AFOLs, and a miniscule minority seen to all of LEGOs sales. And you can't blame LEGO for wanting to update the minifigures. However I do hope now that both torso and legprinting seems to be standard the different versions will look less different from each other.

As for the general topic, I agree that minifigures are getting too detailed. Luke in the Cantina-set is the worst offender so far, the lines just make him look really weird. He was fine in the latest Millenium Falcon, why change him up? Oh, yeah, so LEGO can print "new" all over the box..

TLG's graphic designers need to make a living too. That's my explanation for minifigures receiving very detailed torso prints, only have a huge piece of body armor slapped on, totally covering the printing (especially Chima comes to mind here).

TLG's graphic designers need to make a living too. That's my explanation for minifigures receiving very detailed torso prints, only have a huge piece of body armor slapped on, totally covering the printing (especially Chima comes to mind here).

I prefer the prints, tho, it makes the figures more enjoyable... I always am a little disappointed when a figure has a plain torso just because they've got armor or a beard covering it (Castle wizards, CMF Conquistador, etc). I only wish TLG had designed an element to allow Chima birds to wear wings without the bulky armor (like a 2-stud bracket), allowing their torsos to be visible.

I think a lot of the latest minifigs looks great, although there are a few that may be a bit over the top. After seeing the licensed/flesh heads the yellow heads don't do it for me any more unfortunately, the flesh heads just looks so much more appealing in mocs.

Some examples of great new figs: All three from the latest B-Wing, Biths, Greedo, Imperial crew, Imperial officer

Luke's new face is a bit over the top but I still prefer a new print since I got plenty of the old ones.

C-3PO, don't like the leg print, looks too busy... still I got a bunch of older ones so no problem

Owen Lars has a bit too much detail in the face when looking at the high-res photos, but in real life it's not too bothersome

The new(er) X-Wing & Snowspeeder pilots looks great with leg prints compared to the old ones, and the latest A & B wing pilots are excellent too compared to the old ones.

In general, for all the main characters I don't mind if they update the figs from set to set. I don't need 10 identical Luke/Han/Indy/Gimli figs, better with some variety.

As for the typical army builder figs, I agree that they shouldn't be messed with too often. I prefer the Stormtroopers without leg prints, but the torso changes don't bother me too much (and I can live with the leg prints). The new Rebels style print on the Stormtrooper helmet is awful though, I really hate it... To me the Stormtrooper fig really defines Lego SW and it is very sad to see it (IMO) destroyed to no benefit. No one would have complained if they had used the regular helmets. Oh well... maybe in 2022 there will be another Stromtrooper BP that will be better.

has anyone seen the new han face? It made me throw up, the thought off all future minifigs being so ugly makes me shake

Some of the figures do look ugly and they aren't meant to be action figures like the macfarlane Halo figures. However I do agree that if I'm paying £100 for a set I want good quality.

I take it you've seen the 2015 Tusken then, literally a Hasbro figure head stuck on a Lego torso ... Most of the time I liek detail, but I do agree with 2014/15 they have gone a bit too far...

Edited October 12, 201410 yr by Lord Tyrus

Figuratively a Hasbro figure head stuck on a Lego torso...

If it were literally that, we'd see a Hasbro logo on the box, too.

I'm not bugged by the amount of printing and detail, it's the pace at which lego keeps "updating" figs that annoys me. Specifically rebel pilots, stormtroopers, and clones. THese figs looked best when they are uniform, but especially with the rebel pilots lego updates the look every year. At least this update is usually to make the figs more accurate, but it's not like the scource material has changed since 1999 (much).

It's funny how many iterations of pilot uniform we've had or the number of molds used for luke's hair, yet poor Chewy only just got him first update (not counting brown color change) Also I may be wrong, but I think the STAP battle droids are the only figs that have not been altered in any way since 1999.

This is the issue that vexes me most. It's very difficult to army-build when seemingly every year brings new variations on extant designs for uniformed troops. It's not as much of an issue with updates for most unique characters, since one presumably isn't going to want to depict a scene with 30 Luke Skywalers anyway, but when one's uniformed troops aren't uniform, it can take a little of the fun out of it.

It's especially troublesome when the updates come so close together. We just had the standard orange Rebel pilot flight suit updated in 2010, I think, after just over a decade of the classic old print. Now, while the original print was charming and effective, I'll actually concede the update was good for the most part, bringing a printed back along with the increased detail. However, we've now gotten further updates splitting it into both snowspeeder pilot and starfighter pilot versions, coming just a few years after the previous update. I don't mind being able to distinguish between snowspeeder pilots and X-Wing pilots, but I already have close to a couple dozen of the original version (not distinguishing further between the old and new dark greys used for the hips), and a comparable number of the 2010 update introduced with that year's Hoth Rebel battlepack. Now those updates have been replaced in the market by the newest update, and if I wish to further build my forces beyond what I've already gotten while continuing to get new sets I have to start over again, while letting those older pilots I accumulated over years go to waste. It's a bit frustrating. :/

Though I don't collect SW anymore, I prefer detailing on a minifig......it can then have an identity.

After reading some of these comments about collecting between older and newer designs of minifigures. I do find it too frustrating whenever TLG updates a minfigure like the Rebel pilot or one of the characters either from OT or PT to a latest version and does make the ones you have collected before this update of printing sort of defunct. Personally in my opinion, the older minigures of any of TLG minifigures including Star Wars is something of nostalgia before these updates that will always be part of my own minifigure collection no matter how many updates and what not since TLG decided to do this after 10 or more years after the first version of the same minifig, for example Luke Skywalker or R2-D2.

A basic design in my opinion is something still well worth collecting, as it still captures the look of the character from any TLG minifigs.

Edited October 13, 201410 yr by AudiBobaR5-D2

Figuratively a Hasbro figure head stuck on a Lego torso...

If it were literally that, we'd see a Hasbro logo on the box, too.