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[Butts-a-plenty]

i used to get lego for christmas and for my birthday but looking at their website it seems like there isn't quite the number of large set and overall world diversity there once was.

i remember getting.

and that was just the beginning for me, there was also.

And the space stuff with Ice Planet

MTron

UFO

And the Neptune Discovery Lab with the Mono Rail I was always jealous of..

Though I did have the hydronaut base.

Looking over lego it just seems like there is lots of licensed stuff and a real lack of over arching universes that span for years. it's just generic stuff now like "castle" and whatnot. i dunno, it just doesn't seem like the same kind of lego stuff i remember.

 

[Toa TAK]

Bionicle is still amazing.

And as for actual sets, regardless of the license, the sets have gotten even cooler over the years.

 

[Khalifa Jayy]

Better.

 

[Delta Assault]

*shrug*

For me, Lego was never about building the sets, it was always about creating what I wanted, from my own imagination.

 

[Abounder]

The plastic formula has changed too, modern Lego pieces feel cheaper and lighter than older sets from my limited experience anyway.

But aside from that they're better than ever, likewise with their competition

 

[zou]

No, it's better. Bigger, more complex set. The old stuff is quite simple looking back.

 

[Camp Lo]

Better.

.

 

[Always-honest]

There is much more variety and my son still makes whatever the fuck he wants and it's always something i would never come up with.

Lego is still great. I have a preference for Lego Technic though and so does my son to right now. He used to be all over that Chima stuff before.

It's great to watch him make these crazy "machines". He's basicly finding solutions for certain problems. Some of his solutions are genious, some just don't work at all. But it's all great to observe.

 

[Supa Necta]

Join us at LEGOGAF. Your wallet will get much lighter.

 

[railGUN]

I hope so, I fucking love my Lego sets and can't wait to play with them again with my daughter when she's a bit older.

Monorail for life!

 

[Gnome Scat]

We have Star Wars now, so better.

 

[Rosenskjold]

i used to get lego for christmas and for my birthday but looking at their website it seems like there isn't quite the number of large set and overall world diversity there once was.

So we got all the same things, good times man!!

 

[waypoetic]

It's still pricey. I'm sorry mom and dad...

 

[Tony Iommi]

Question... Can you achieve similar designs as the Lego ones with cheaper brands?

 

[Wozzly]

Though I did have the hydronaut base.

I wanted the UFO line ones so bad and that Neptune base...hnnnng. I used to dream as a kid opening it up at Christmas. Perhaps I still do

I remember this one being the one I wanted the most.

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

Oh man, right in the nostalgia.

They have the white city of Gondor now, so things have gotten pretty great.

 

[loaf of bread]

Anyone else into the modular building sets?

*not my pic

 

[soco]

the licensed ones are overarching universes and do go on for years. it makes more sense to carefully select a few universes and do this over trying to create their own. It doesn't really change much about legos or the process, except you're building something with a familiar shape.

 

[Toxi]

Lego Birds is a pretty sweet display set.

 

[Jarrod38]

The one set I always wanted.

 

[Ra\/en]

It is more licensed. It seems pretty decent still, but I did enjoy the non-licensed stuff.

my fav set was this one. I still have it in my basement in a box .

Nothing quite like the black seas barracuda

 

[demon]

*shrug*

For me, Lego was never about building the sets, it was always about creating what I wanted, from my own imagination.

Same for me. I never had interest in building a specific set from an instruction manual. That seemed incredibly boring and unstimulating. To me, Legos were about being creative and building what I want (usually spaceships) from a large jug of random pieces.

 

[Chezzymann]

Better.

Boom.

There's a bunch of super awesome sets coming out these days and lego has advanced in quality, can't speak for brick quality as I don't really notice that stuff much.

Mini Cooper:

Parisian Restaraunt

The new Ultra Agents Ultra Copter looks super badass and has a buttload of play functions:

I have honestly thought about buying these sets when my GF is away and playing with them like a little kid.

I'm 20 and have some Star Wars sets and the Mini Cooper I just posted displayed on my desk in my dorm.

 

[ghostmind]

We have a thread (now at OT4) for discussing LEGO. You are welcome to join us at http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=911981.

 

[Nabbis]

I have honestly thought about buying these sets when my GF is away and playing with them like a little kid. Obviously, i will commit suicide if anyone ever finds out.

 

[Doopliss]

One of my favourites as a kid:

The central bit lifts up for the little buggies to drive in and out, and the cockpits on either side are space fighters that can detach from the main ship (I think I also had a different ship from another set which could attach in place of one of them). It mainly battled it out with this one:

I had this goofy/badass thing too:

 

[Master Yoshi]

I'm dying for the Star Wars AT-AT that released last year.

I relapsed after a 12 year break and got Jabba's Palace, the Rancor Pit, Desert Skiff, the X-Wing, A-Wing and Millenium Falcon.

I also have Gandalf's Arrival and bought the Wizard Battle last week.

I am obsessed with Lego Star Wars, but the scalping and aftermarket prices are so harsh... I'm just now finally making enough to collect some again.

 

[BomberMouse]

Creator sets are still good. There's too much licensed crap nowdays though.

The problem are all the manchilds craving for more and more licensed crap and crying over hard to get exclusive minifigs. Absolutely toxic, but they are a minority.

 

[deadlast]

Lego is way cooler now than it was 30 years ago.

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

All of Non-Licensed Lego > All of Licensed Lego. I really haven't looked for like 5 years or more, but I still feel that this holds true.

 

[cajunator]

Legos taste different now

 

[Chezzymann]

All of Non-Licensed Lego > All of Licensed Lego. I really haven't looked for like 5 years or more, but I still feel that this holds true.

Pretty much, only thing I'd disagree with is Star Wars. There's some really nice star wars sets coming out recently, the TIE fighter prototype is fantastic.

 

[BTM]

*shrug*

For me, Lego was never about building the sets, it was always about creating what I wanted, from my own imagination.

You're a Master Builder

 

[Zombine]

Short answer? No it's not. Long answer? Thank goodness.

Nostalgia aside, Lego was in a very bad place for a very long time. They were losing more and more money each year, and it was something crazy like they were losing a million dollars a day, and their business was spread too thin over too many products, including the theme parks which Yielded little success for the company. Sometime around 08 (?) they brought in a new CEO and they pretty much cut all the meat out of the line, which included selling off all of their theme parks and only branching out their successful lines (Marvel/DC/Licences/Girls/Ninjago/Chimera(sp?) and they've also had great success with their "first" feature film and its entire product line.

So yes, it has changed, they got rid of some
Parts and downsized a bit, but I would say that they are in a much better place, and their lines make more sense.

 

[Cyd0nia]

Lego City, Lego Ninjago, Lego Chima, Lego Bionicle

Their own non licensed ranges contain some of their best stuff

I do feel like the packs are sold more as ornamental pieces now rather than packs of bricks but I don't really mind that as that's how I use it myself. I'll buy a bucket for my nephew when I wanna build random stuff.

 

[freenudemacusers]

as someone who played with them as a kid (early 90s), and has been buying them for my son now who is three, legos are like at another level entirely (lego city for example).

yeah i wish there were not so many licensed sets, but the hobbits do look pretty cool I cant lie. which reminds me, it's kinda lame that smaug's minifig is being tied to a giant set that I don't really want

 

[Seductivpancakes]

They're still great to me. Even better really.

Some cool new molds and bricks.

 

[MattKeil]

So, so much better. Pirates comes back this year!

 

[bagandscalpel]

But OP, the Castle theme is probably LEGO's longest running lines. That Dragonmaster set you posted is part of it.

While I can understand your feelings about all the licensed sets, the company still keeps me content (and my wallet thin) with the occasional release like the latest Imperial Flagship.

 

[DJ_Lae]

I loved my Black Seas Barracuda and Whirl n Wheel Super Truck.

However, the new stuff is just as good and there's arguably more variety with the more adult-focused modular and insanely large sets (like the Tumbler from last year), Star Wars stuff, etc. Lego City feels like the older sets, which I'm not sure is a good thing as they're kind of uninteresting in comparison to other lineups, but from neat seasonal sets to Technic and Mindstorms you've got a pretty good collection of sets to choose from.

Things like Friends are a bit weak overall but even they have their occasional strong points (Dolphin Cruiser). If I had one complaint it's that Lego is expensive as hell, especially here in Canada.

 

[Brakke]

Sets are much better now but yeah most things are licensed. Good thing I like all their licenses.

 

[SariaR_Kokoro]

I really dislike the new sets as well. Too unnatural I suppose

 

[Social]

I had this goofy/badass thing too:

I had this one too! What an awesome robot it was. Played soooo much with it.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

They are better than ever. They still use the same bricks from 30+ years ago, and some new ones mixed in. Things are more diverse than ever, and the fact that I can still use bricks I got in the mid 80s with sets I buy now just makes them more awesome.

While licensed themes get all the attention overall, their strongest stuff is usually in their own themes and the Creator line. Just look at the modular buildings for proof of this.

And that I can mostly afford the hobby doesn't hurt either.

Please, join us at LEGO GAF. Everything is awesome. Except that we are a bunch of dirty enablers that will rationalize ways for you to spend all of your money. But in the nicest way possible.

 

[Toxi]

Short answer? No it's not. Long answer? Thank goodness.

Nostalgia aside, Lego was in a very bad place for a very long time. They were losing more and more money each year, and it was something crazy like they were losing a million dollars a day, and their business was spread too thin over too many products, including the theme parks which Yielded little success for the company. Sometime around 08 (?) they brought in a new CEO and they pretty much cut all the meat out of the line, which included selling off all of their theme parks and only branching out their successful lines (Marvel/DC/Licences/Girls/Ninjago/Chimera(sp?) and they've also had great success with their "first" feature film and its entire product line.

So yes, it has changed, they got rid of some
Parts and downsized a bit, but I would say that they are in a much better place, and their lines make more sense.

For an idea of how awful their business was, the transparent tubes included with some technic sets cost more to produce than the entire set was sold for, and they had no idea. They actually downsized the number of molds because so many specialized molds were created and then used only for a few sets.

 

[Waikis]

Anyone else into the modular building sets?

*not my pic

My dream is to build a train set with lego buildings:

 

[John Kowalski]

I miss childhood.

 

[entremet]

I loved Lego as kid. God tier toy line.

 

[WillyFive]

It has improved dramatically since then, especially in the things you say they're not as good at.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

I loved Lego as kid. God tier toy line.

Even better as an adult. Look at the crazy shit GAFfer Wetwired does:

A vast majority of the pieces in that scene you could find in sets from the 80s. That is what is so awesome, that you can keep reusing the stuff to make anything even after decades.

The man was responsible for the Ghostbusters set that came out last summer.

There are so many awesome creations that people on here have been making.