Ideas for Lego sets - the more 'out of the box' the better!

BrickDancer · June 2013

Back on topic...

A zoo theme is quite possible if it merged with a circus theme. I imagine a 'Big Tent' set, along with smaller ones like 'House of Mirrors' or 'Magic Show'. Which allows for the possibility of a roller coaster. Either way, I look forward an option of getting a greater variety of animals in classic Lego form (non-Friends).

prof1515 · June 2013

mathew said:
Just because you have nieces doesn't mean that you can understand the experience of taking care of another human being.

No it doesn't mean a person will understand. They can if they take the time to try to and analyze and process the experience. The continual activity doesn't inherently grant any deeper understanding though.

mathew said:
One that requires 24/7 care and guidance. That requires that you are selfless. That requires un-conditional love and commitment.

That goes for owning a pet or taking care of an elderly parent or a sick person. Parenthood isn't some exclusive club for responsibility and selflessness and lack of parenthood doesn't mean one can't be any of those things. Also note that there are plenty of people with kids who don't exhibit those characteristics. Just having a child didn't make them selfless nor did it give them insight into children. Those qualities are the result of a person's character, not their status as a parent. Hence a person without children can know far more about them than a person who is a parent.

I try to be selfless and care about others and have done so without ever having any intention to have kids. I'm not gay and yet back in college there wasn't a person on campus who fought more for LBGT issues. I'm not a minority and yet I fought for minority rights so much in college that I was the first (and only) white student elected to represent the Black Student Association. While I don't involve myself in politics directly via office any more (my distaste for the bullshit that goes with it, not for public service), there are still many ways which I try to make an impact. A friend of mine once said that if he didn't know me personally and had to guess who I was based on the issues I support, he'd think I was a gay black woman.

mathew said:
For me life became much more fragile after having children. I realized my own mortality much more. That I will hopefully die before my children and that they will carry on my legacy. I worry about their future. I worry about some crazed gunman opening fire on them at school. Someone that doesn't care about their life like my wife and I do.

That's good to hear but you'll find those sentiments from people who don't have children as well. Regardless, it doesn't give you insight into children's minds. That, like most things in life, comes down to observation and analysis of data.

Every day, billions of people see the sun in the sky. Doing so day after day doesn't give them any insight into why the sun is bright, the mechanisms and phenomena related to it or anything else in that regard. That requires more than merely seeing it, more than merely being in orbit around it your entire life.

mathew said:
You simply don't have that. And you never will unless you become a caretaker of some kind or have children of your own.

And yet I do. Nothing you mentioned aside from the line about dying before your children is foreign to me. Being a parent just means at best that you have exposure to taking care of something but so does owning a dog. What you get from the experience is far more related to who you are as a person than the simple biological experience (or social experience) of having a child.

And as I said, it's rather simple why I don't have kids. I don't want them. There's nothing special about it; it's something billions have done and it requires no talent or ability. Heck, not just billions of people do it, so too do dogs, cats, chimpanzees, elephants, spiders, et al. Given that the world's overpopulated as is it'd be nice if more people chose not to.

I feel no allure of a "legacy" from having children. I prefer to leave a legacy through acts I take myself which change the world for the better. Having a kid doesn't do that because I can't guarantee their behavior (especially not if I die first). If it did there wouldn't be people shooting up schools, abusing spouses, raping women, etc. If just being a parent made the world a better place, it would be a paradise. It's not though because being a parent is not a moral or ethical act. Things like school shootings or educational opportunities for children do concern me, regardless of whether or not I have offspring because I form my values on the basis of something other than what directly affects me. I'd call that more selfless than doing something to protect one's own child. Most animals will do that; it doesn't make them selfless.

I'm also well aware of my own mortality and was even before my near-fatal auto accident. That's a product of observation and contemplation of the world around me. A child wouldn't do more to increase that than just meeting another person would. Maybe that makes me more thoughtful and aware than most people but that's less of a positive about me and simply more of a statement as to the oblivious ignorance of most people.

To each their own though, I say. However, don't think that having kids grants any insight because that's not a product of parenthood, it's the product of observation and analysis. Some people go their entire lives without noticing anything around them, not because they aren't exposed to it but because they either choose not to or lack the ability to observe and comprehend what they observe. The ability to be more makes us human. Having offspring makes us like any other lifeform. Having or not having children doesn't mean you can or can't understand the behavior of children or anything else. Ultimately, what matters is how you observe and analyze the world around you.

mathew · June 2013

That's all very well said. However in all of your talk about observation and analysis you forget about the experience. Through the experience of having and raising children you gain insight into your own emotions and viewpoints. For example it is impossible for me to explain the emotions I went through witnessing the birth of my first son. I would not have had those emotions by observing and analyzing the birth of a child that was not my own.

devilhead · June 2013

I thought this is where we come to discuss LEGO.... my mistake.

mathew · June 2013

devilhead said:
I thought this is where we come to discuss LEGO.... my mistake.

Life is a Lego zoo.

prof1515 · June 2013

That can go for just about anything though and it doesn't apply to all. You might have had those same emotions at the death of a parent, your own health issues or any of a myriad of things which can stimulate emotional responses and contemplation. Likewise, there are people who go through all of that and don't change. There are people who witness the birth of their child and it doesn't make them a better person or in any way more insightful about anything. There are people who lose a loved one and find no new thoughts or insight from the experience. Such a transformation is about the inherent qualities of the person, to that point latent or not, than to the experience itself.

BoiseState · June 2013

I thought all the same things you did until I had a child..

EKSam · June 2013

A bank would be fantastic, you have the GG,GE,PS,PC,CC etc to go and spend money in but nowhere to get/ deposit the money. :-)

AdeelZubair · June 2013

I am not a fan of Lego Friends but I think that a Lego Friend Dolls House (Direct/Exclusive) will be as great treat for Lego Friends fans?!

skeet318 · June 2013

Adzbadboy said:
I am not a fan of Lego Friends but I think that a Lego Friend Dolls House (Direct/Exclusive) will be as great treat for Lego Friends fans?!

Hey adz. You'll probably get corrected on that ? in your last sentence. Just remember on the interwebz, the laws of grammar can be bent, some even broken...

14hours2save · June 2013

@Adzbadboy, I always thought of #3315 as a Lego doll's house, especially with the way it opens up.

mathew · June 2013

BoiseState said:
I thought all the same things you did until I had a child..

The Prof can't have children because he is an android.

BRC · June 2013

I'd really like some of the things suggested, we are over Police and Fire. I have daughters but they like City Lego and not so much of the Friends line due to their not being minifigures.
A smaller Grocer, Bank, Post Office, Dentist, Hairdresser, Shops in general etc would be great, both for boys and girls plus AFOL.

BoiseState · June 2013

A bank would be cool.. A Capitol building would be awesome, but wouldnt fit in the "block".

AdeelZubair · June 2013

A Lego Vintage theme:
• Lego HQ, Denmark
• Ole Kirk’s House
• LEGO Duck
These sets will complement the yearly years of Lego with a selection a key or iconic items that were featured in The Lego Story. I know that Lego have released these sets for Lego colleagues but I think these sets will do well for Lego.

A Lego Disney Theme which will each have the main characters from the stories such as: Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White etc)

Lego Ghostbusters for the AFOL community will be great. Their are many projects for this on Lego Cuusoo so they do have a chance.

Lego Doctor Who will be cool as well but Character Building has already pushed out a Doctor Who theme (Lego could way better!!), so they will clash. :(

A Lego Nintendo theme will be amazing for fans of Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Zelda and Pokemon!!

Lego Star Was Landmarks: These will be models of main landmarks like jedi temple, Ewok village, Cloud City. (Like the Star Wars Planet series)

And Lego should keep up the Super Heroes sets based of movies coming soon eg. Thor the Dark Wold, Captain America the Winter Solider, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man.

The Brick Show or other iconic AFOLs on the web should relresnted in lego sets: The Brick Show, BrickQueen, YCF, Brickbox etc.
A sample I created for The Brick Show Studio

skeet318 · June 2013

Busy busy moderators

BRC · June 2013

We built the passenger train this weekend and it got me thinking about heaps of things Lego could make as we set it up going around our City.
I like the Roller Coaster idea, that would be cool.

LegoFanTexas · June 2013

mathew said:
That's all very well said. However in all of your talk about observation and analysis you forget about the experience. Through the experience of having and raising children you gain insight into your own emotions and viewpoints. For example it is impossible for me to explain the emotions I went through witnessing the birth of my first son. I would not have had those emotions by observing and analyzing the birth of a child that was not my own.

Mathew, trying to explain it to someone without kids is impossible, they don't get it, they can't get it, they won't get it unless they have kids. Many childless people have all kinds of thoughts and opinions about kids, you just have to pat them on the head and ignore them, they just don't know any better.

I used to think just like he did before I had kids, I have now become wiser.

Something... changes... once you have kids, if you understand, no words are required... If you don't, no words will explain.

TheLoneTensor · June 2013

No doubt, plus it dulls your senses in positive ways. Before kids, I would give a crap about the child at the next table making noise in the restaurant. Today? "What child? Oh, that one over there? He was making noise huh? No, I didn't hear it."

As for new ideas, Lego should sponsor some kind of forum where people can submit awesome ideas and then the community could vote on what ideas might get turned into sets. It'd be a success beyond our wildest dreams I tell you!

skeet318 · June 2013

I like the Adult Line Idea already mentioned before. I figured that what was CUUSO should be. I really don't think I have the time, skill, or $ to MOC things like Winterfell, Predators, Matrix-stuff, etc

LegoFanTexas · June 2013

The Adult line can be a new "sub-brand", like Technic is...

skeet318 · June 2013

LegoFanTexas said:
The Adult line can be a new "sub-brand", like Technic is...

Works for me. Add Walking Dead to that list. Was a great comic til Kirkman killed every body....

Si_UKNZ · June 2013

Bit behind here, but I love the zoo and themepark ideas, if only because these are places that often have (you guessed it) ....

MONORAILS!!!!!

Si_UKNZ · June 2013

50missioncap said:
@legocreator... c

Great call on the classic monsters sets!! I've been thinking the same with the vampire, wolfman, mummy, witch, etc minifigs.

Just reading this thread from the beginning, its packed full of things which have since been done, and some of them are strangely prophetic.

Si_UKNZ · June 2013

drdavewatford said:
A UCS Opera House would be awesome. You could put lots of detail AND natural play function. Think flying in scenery.

Fine by me - Sydney Opera House, please !

Doc called it back in 2011 :)

Mandarine · July 2013

Haven't been motivated to comment in a while, but as the mother of two boys aged 6 & 4, I can categorically state that they would love a Lego zoo or other animal theme. They have never been into trains or vehicles as a general rule, and have always preferred animals (of the Safari-kind earlier proposed I.e exotic and/or deadly) and dinosaurs as toys that spark their imagination. Any themes that heavily incorporate animals would be most welcome. Not all kids are alike and not all boys are alike.

AdeelZubair · July 2013

The Brick Show Studio!!

markarm919 · July 2013

Admittedly, I skipped the bulk of this thread but I had an idea on the mansion ideas. What if they sold rooms? And a way to make it all uniform on the exterior of your own creation? That way you could make it unique and as large or small as you would like.

skeet318 · July 2013

For the ladies...courtesy of my wife...

skeet318 · July 2013

She found it on Google.

BRC · July 2013

After just building Lego town Square #60026 I'd like to see more shops in the same style as the pizza and bike shop sold on their own.

dejavu · July 2013

I'd love to see some vehicles that are appropriate to the Modular series. all we have now is the limo for the theatre, but a couple of cars and trucks for that period would be fun.

andhe · July 2013

skeet318 said:
She found it on Google.

Yeah right... "Found it on google"...

Themes-wise, how about a timetravelling theme that uses all the left over pieces from other sets and mashes them up into some sort of hideous train?

Cam_n_Stu · July 2013

Has LEGO ever released something like these Fractions towers?

@Mods> Please can you make the above a Brickset referral link if that isn't an automated process these days? Thanks.

vitreolum · July 2013

^

You mean this marvel? :))

BRC · July 2013

dejavu said:
I'd love to see some vehicles that are appropriate to the Modular series. all we have now is the limo for the theatre, but a couple of cars and trucks for that period would be fun.

A minivan/people mover, some more cars, taxi, trucks, these would all make reasonably priced small sets for the City theme, stuff you could easily pick up at the store even if the budget was tight for that week.