What bricks shouId Lego make?

Lego_Nerd98

In my experience with MOC-building, I have run into many problems in which the perfect piece simply did not exist. And I'm sure we all have a particular brick or bricks that we wish were in circulation. For me, I wish we had a 1x1x1/3 round brick with studs on BOTH sides! This would dramatically improve everyone's moc-building. In fact, I think any double-sided plate would be wonderful. I have had to settle for the 1x2x1/3 'lamp holder' brick. So, what brick do YOU wish existed?

Fauch

I'm currently building king's castle, and tower are primarily made of 10 x 10 octogonal plates and 3x3x6 panels. problem, the 10x10 plate is too large, it sticks out on all sides. 3x3 wedge plates are the right side but make construction harder. a 8x8 octogonal plate would be more appropriate.

Lego_Nerd98

Fauch said:

I'm currently building king's castle, and tower are primarily made of 10 x 10 octogonal plates and 3x3x6 panels. problem, the 10x10 plate is too large, it sticks out on all sides. 3x3 wedge plates are the right side but make construction harder. a 8x8 octogonal plate would be more appropriate.

Agreed. Or maybe Lego should make 4x4x6 wedge panels.

leemcg

I wish there were 'plates with rail' in different sizes: 1x1 with rail on one side, and 1x1 with a corner rail on three sides. The problem with the latter is that it wouldn't work functionally but they are so much more commonly used for detailing I don't think that matters. 

bandit778

A cheese slope with stud on top for easier angle building. Although very unlikely brick to be made what with the issues some have had with the normal cheese slope .

CCC

leemcg said:

I wish there were 'plates with rail' in different sizes: 1x1 with rail on one side, and 1x1 with a corner rail on three sides. The problem with the latter is that it wouldn't work functionally but they are so much more commonly used for detailing I don't think that matters. 

Rail on three sides or two? Two would be ideal for building corner detail. What would three be used for?

CCC

Reversing plates would be good, so long as strong enough.

Angles with studs too, although probably need to be larger than a cheese slope for stronger clutch at the base.

I'd also like 1*1 plates with clips on two sides. These would be great for microscale figs, the clips acting as arms that can hold items.

Lego_Nerd98

I would also like cheese slopes with studs on the bottom, so that we can have smaller underside slopes for buildings and such.

Fauch

CCC said:

Angles with studs too, although probably need to be larger than a cheese slope for stronger clutch at the base.

already exists, but haven't been in use for a long time
http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?P=6044#T=S&O={}

CCC

Yes, a bit of variation in angle would be nice though! And available, of course.

Mynatt

The first piece that comes to mind is mini figure kid feet. I would enjoy to see them have the ability to bend like normal mini figures.

CCC

There are these ones ... http://www.brickfortress.com/ but to me they look plain weird. They are too short when bent.

richselby

Ooh, I didn't know mini bending legs existed. Has anyone tried them?

CCC

I have some from brick fortress. They just look weird in running poses and when sitting down, they are much too short. Standing they look OK, but then they are similar to fixed legs.

Drew has a really good review with many pictures of them in action here:

http://silentmode.tv/review/brick-fortress-mini-action-legs/

leemcg

@CCC ^^^^^^^^  doh! I meant rails on two sides, of course. 

richselby

Thanks, CCC. They look pretty good to me. It just so happens the current MOC I'm working on features a short-legged child, who desperately needs to be posed.

rdflego

I would like to see a 1x1 grill and a 1x1 turntable plate/brick. I could do with some of those for general MOCing purposes.

Lego_Nerd98

richselby said:

Thanks, CCC. They look pretty good to me. It just so happens the current MOC I'm working on features a short-legged child, who desperately needs to be posed.

They aren't Legos, though... idk about you but I only build with Lego pieces.

Coolguy5000

Lego_Nerd98 said:

richselby said:

Thanks, CCC. They look pretty good to me. It just so happens the current MOC I'm working on features a short-legged child, who desperately needs to be posed.

They aren't Legos, though... idk about you but I only build with Lego pieces.

Nothing  here is legos  it's all LEGO 

MrShinyAndNew

I bought a bag of used Lego once, and it had a small handful of Megablocks pieces in it. I got rid of most of them, but I held a few back, because they are interesting pieces that Lego doesn't make yet (that I've seen, anyway).

One is a 2x4 plate with studs on both sides. Another is a 1x1 plate with a bar sticking out, and the third is a 1x1 round plate with a hole and a bar. Are any of these required? Not necessarily. But they sure would be useful.

Lego_Nerd98

@MrShinyAndNew yeah I remember getting those pieces when I was young. I loved them!

The_Mad_Vulcan

^I have a few of those 2 x 2 plates. But if you mention it to someone else and they ask me, I will deny it vehemently. The day that LEGO produces those, they go into the bin.

My choice would be the 4732 bracket, which I have always used quite a lot. It has a drop down section of length 3 studs which was often used as a cockpit for minifigs in sets long ago. I want it to have the drop down bit 4 studs long to accommodate a minifig with a backpack (air tanks, hoodie, etc). 

TheLoneTensor

Has Lego ever produced a brick that was first produced in a clone brand?

For example, there has to be a legitimate reason why the ultra-obvious (and incredibly useful) "studs on both sides" or "holes on both sides" bricks haven't been done yet by Lego.  Is it because Mega Bloks did it first, and they don't ever want to be seen as playing catch up, or patent reasons, etc?

MattsWhat

^I had always just assumed it was just not Lego. They must have some sort of rules as to what bricks they allow, otherwise there is an infinite number of combinations.  And usefullness clearly isn't a criteria, hence why they don't have a 1x1 with rail etc.  Maybe they feel it moves too far away from the original concept (not sure how it is different to any other SNOT brick) but as you say, there must be a reason.  And playing catch up to MB, lol. On another note, who had POTC first?

TigerMoth

MattsWhat said:

On another note, who had POTC first?

Disney. So nobody's copying anybody. It's curious how licences change the picture, isn't it?

TheLoneTensor said:

For example, there has to be a legitimate reason why the ultra-obvious (and incredibly useful) "studs on both sides" or "holes on both sides" bricks haven't been done yet by Lego.  Is it because Mega Bloks did it first, and they don't ever want to be seen as playing catch up, or patent reasons, etc?

I don't think they do.

However, "studs on both sides" and "holes on both sides" are interesting because of how they are different.

The former is possible to do neatly, but you either end up with a solid brick or have to stick two parts together, simply because of the way bricks are made.

The latter, on the other hand, is technically easy, but probably gives you something that is aesthetically a bit odd, at least to people used to the traditional look of most bricks.

Of course, I'm asuming that by "side" you mean top and bottom, because there are bricks with studs on both sides.

What is interesting, though, is how the system still works - bricks from 50 years ago are still compatible with the latest designs. It's not down to just the humble stud, because there are other types of connection. That might give some sort of clue as to why some types of brick aren't produced. There has to be a great deal of thought that goes into what certain aspects of a brick's design is going to mean in later years. For example, an early possible mistake was that a stud is slightly too high. As a result, the holes in Technic bricks aren't central vertically because that stud still has to fit underneath it when used conventionally.

CCC

There is a bit of an odd shape half circle half square tile coming (S8 mixels). Could be interesting for those who like making patterns on a floor.

Lego_Nerd98

CCC said:

There is a bit of an odd shape half circle half square tile coming (S8 mixels). Could be interesting for those who like making patterns on a floor.

That would be great for mini-scale buildings also. Lego will probably end up using that piece for Architecture too.

Btw how do you know? S8 Mixel images aren't on Brickset yet.

TigerMoth

Er... there's a bit more to the Internet that just Brickset.

The_Mad_Vulcan

Lies!

TigerMoth

I didn't know Seattle was in China.

Pmh

studs on both sides,thats the dream

MattsWhat

^They already do those, unless you mean on a plate. 
I'm not convinced I want more bricks. And certainly not the ones I ask for. My favourite part of lego is having to work out how to build the shape I want. If I could have any brick it would take the fun away. Or at least a lot of the fun. Well, some of the the non collecting, non minifigure fun anyway.

TigerMoth

Look at what was available in the 60s and 70s and then say that. You can do more, and do it better because of the increased range of pieces. Note that it's "more" not "easier".

Whatever type of set takes your fancy, go back and look how something similar would have looked a few years ago - the chances are that it will bigger and clumsier with less detail. Newer pieces have allowed us to move forward, and will continue to do so.

Lego_Nerd98

MattsWhat said:

^They already do those, unless you mean on a plate. 
I'm not convinced I want more bricks. And certainly not the ones I ask for. My favourite part of lego is having to work out how to build the shape I want. If I could have any brick it would take the fun away. Or at least a lot of the fun. Well, some of the the non collecting, non minifigure fun anyway.

Yeah, it is a lot of fun to have to think outside the brick, so to speak. That defines one's level of creativity. :D

MattsWhat

I'm not looking at pieces from then though.  I'm looking at them now as per the question. Yup I can probably do it better now due to the range and I have possible combinations that can make things that were impossible before. BUT I still don't want them to produce that one brick I want for a special job. New bricks that I can use to build in other ways are OK, but I don't know what those bricks are yet and won't until they arrive.
The whole modular line is filled with wonderful building with no pieces made specifically for a single part -  that is what lego is mean to be. Not needing a new canopy for my bat mobile, and just making a new piece. Hence my answer - I'm not convinced I want anything. Or at least I don't know what it is. 

TigerMoth

MattsWhat said:

I'm not looking at pieces from then though.  I'm looking at them now as per the question.

Yes, but the same will be true in ten years time looking back at what you will, by then, regard as essential.

The question is therefore a matter of what your imagination wants, but that cannot be achieved, not just what one individual can't achieve, but another can.  It's not about a new design to make thing easier, but about new designs that make things possible. People don't necessarily want pieces that are the solution to a problem but pieces that simply allow them to address the problem.

Fauch

I don't remember such pieces. here are examples that should be compatible with 4x4 and 3x10 wedge bricks.

Roberto

It seems that a costant accompanies me every time I plan a moc: a chronic lack of bricks in dark blue. Is it only me or it's really a colour that should be applied to a more vast selection of bricks? I'm curious.

gmonkey76

^ I feel your pain. I need six 3665 slope, inverterted in dark blue for a project, but at $4.28-$6.38 on bricklink for one I just can't pull the trigger on them.

bluemoose

I have mixed feelings about this topic; on one hand I really enjoy the challenge of "working within the system", finding solutions to achieve what I want with the bricks available; I worry that if Lego released all the bricks that we would like to see then the challenge would be gone & I might as well sell my Lego & get out the modelling clay.

On the other hand, a few more bricks would be useful, if for no other reason than to fill in some of the more obvious gaps in the system. A greater variety of inverse slopes would be especially nice, as would mararoni plate and tile, 1x1 round tiles in red, more options for 1/2 plate offsets, etc.

There are lots of techniques for stud reversal, it just takes a bit of effort to work out when to use which one. Some of them don't even involve superglue ;-)

There's a "Brick Wishlist" Flickr group -
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/pool/
- which has been around for a while; some of the oldest suggestions in that list have actually become real bricks since they were first posted, so there's hope :-)

Rebelego

A 1x1 Tile that is 'tiled' on both sides. MUAHAHAHAHA

Lego_Nerd98

Rebelego said:

A 1x1 Tile that is 'tiled' on both sides. MUAHAHAHAHA

  I would go insane xD

Lego_Nerd98

bluemoose said:

There are lots of techniques for stud reversal, it just takes a bit of effort to work out when to use which one. Some of them don't even involve superglue ;-)

But there are some techniques that DO require superglue? HOW DARE YOU xD

Galactus

Rebelego said:

A 1x1 Tile that is 'tiled' on both sides. MUAHAHAHAHA

Like this 70501 Gold Coin? :-P

MattsWhat

^I'm more excited by that piece in the middle... it's a double sided stud!

Paperballpark

^ I might have to use one of those in my latest build...

Anyway, what I'd really like is an 'extended jumper' plate. A 1x3 plate, with two offset studs on top. I was speaking to a designer last year and mentioned that, and they said that they'd already thought of that (the designer, that is). So hopefully we might see one in a few years. Maybe. There was no 'yes this will be made', but more of a 'that is a part I'd like to see too'.

Paperballpark

Like this:

MattsWhat

^ isn't that the same as a jumper next to a 1x1 tile (albeit with double the clutch)?
Other than building for strength this wouldn't give any advantages, would it?

MattsWhat

Edit: Double post (and stupidity)

brumey

gold chains ... for a proper Mr.T moc

Galactus

MattsWhat said:

^ isn't that the same as a jumper next to a 1x1 tile (albeit with double the clutch)?
Other than building for strength this wouldn't give any advantages, would it?

It does hold the underlying bricks together, better than a jumper and a 1x1 plate would do. It can also bridge two bricks together. And there are more possibilities of what to put on top.