Tug Boat LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
This project, designed by pix027, is a tugboat used for maneuvering ships around the brick filled waters of a LEGO marine environment. There are several different kinds of tugboats, but they all fall into one of the following categories: deep sea tugboats, harbor tugboats, or river tugboats. Based on my limited knowledge of tugboats and the scale of this build, this particular model seems to be a deep sea tugboat used for pulling large ships, barges, or offshore platforms. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
This tugboat is very nicely designed, capturing the recognizable shape of a tug with the higher bow (front) that tapers off to a lower stern (back) where the tug would attach to whatever the cargo is for the day. Something that really helps with this transition in hull geometry is the use of a 3mm diameter hose to represent a rope running the length along the side of each ship. I especially like the use of the black life rings (30340) to represent the tires that are often found on the sides of real tugboats to act as "bumpers".

Moving on to the deck of the tug, I really like the detail that has been included around the cabin and engine room with the small windows and different panels and ladders used to provide a little bit of texture and depth to the appearance. Up above the engine room, there is nice detailing for the air intake and exhaust. Sitting on top like a crown, the tapered end of the stack really puts a nice touch on this part of the build, and makes creative use of existing parts.

The bridge area of the tugboat is also detailed nicely with handrails, long tall windows, and plenty of communication transmitters and receivers on the roof. Additionally, I appreciate even the smaller details of the lights at the bow and stern, which act as safety devices during the night, when there is fog, or other times when visibility is low. In all, this tug seems to offer playability by bringing an new element to a harbor or sea play theme, and at the same time it offers great value to collectors as I think this would look nice next to some of the cargo ships LEGO has produced in the past, such as the Maersk ships 10152  or 10241, though the scale is noticeable different.

Areas for Improvement
Overall, this is a nice project. A couple things that I would like to see (maybe it is present, but not pictured) is the detail of the engine and the interior of the bridge. I think it would also be nice to see a firefighting nozzle in front of the bridge as actual tugs are often equipped with firefighting equipment incase of an emergency. Otherwise, this is very well designed and detailed.

Conclusion
This Tug Boat has many wonderful details and offers good value both in terms of playability potential, and as a collector item. I believe this would make a great set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of pix027.

The Original Mastermind Game LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
The Original Mastermind Game is a project created by Norders that combines the creativity of LEGO with the challenge of the game Mastermind. If you have never played the game before, Mastermind is a strategy game where one player created a pattern of four pegs (colors can be repeated if desired) and the other player tries to discover what that pattern is using strategic guesses. The player who created the pattern will then place pegs (white for right color wrong spot and black for right color right spot) in the square above the guessed pattern. The game ends when the guesser has successfully determined the pattern or when the guesser runs out of empty rows on the board. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
Personally, this project brings back many fond memories of playing Mastermind for hours with various members of my family. It was always fun to either come up with a pattern that my opponent could not guess, or try and discover the pattern that my opponent placed behind the panel cover. Trust me, this game takes critical thinking skills on both sides! In some ways, Mastermind reminds me of building with LEGO bricks. You have to think how the available pieces can be used to achieve the desired result. Thus, I think this is a great pairing, and would make a great set because both LEGO and Mastermind require creativity and critical thinking skills.

As far as the board goes, there were several different board layouts throughout the years, and this one pays tribute to one of the earliest design while including the end compartments (what I believe are a later, and very useful feature). Everything is very accurate in the design from the brown color to the locations for the white and black pegs being on both sides, even to there being a raised (or lowered) section around each row where the guesser places the colored pegs. The build of this game looks like it would be enjoyable by itself (even without the game feature) due to the various SNOT techniques used with the bricks with Technic holes built in on their sides and the 2x2 plates being used upside down as the locations for the black and white pins.

Areas for Improvement
As it currently is, this design remains true and very accurate to the early Mastermind board designs. One thing that could be improved, (and Mastermind has done this in more recent board designs) would be to include a cover for the two end compartments. I do realize that this decreases the accuracy of the design, so I am torn between saying it should be included and it should not be included, but I think it should at least be considered. One other minor comment, the original Mastermind game only had six colors, and this project has eight, making it a version about 20 years older than the original Mastermind game. However, I am glad to see the larger number of colors as this adds another level of challenge to the game. If someone wants to play with six colors, they can do so by simply not using two of the eight colors included.

Conclusion
Mastermind is a fun game to play, and is centered around many of the same principles that LEGO is based on. I firmly believe this Original Mastermind Game would be a fantastic set for both young and old if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of Norders.

LEGO Ideas Set #14: Caterham Seven 620R

The team at LEGO Ideas has just announced the release date of LEGO Ideas set #14, 21307 Caterham Seven 620R by bricktrix_Carl. You can read the full blog post here. The set will be available October 1, 2016 for a MSRP of USD 79.99 / EUR 79,99 according to the blog post, including 771 pieces and measuring 3” (10cm) in height, 11” (28cm) in length and 5” (14cm) in width.

Overall, this is a stunning model. The yellow and black accent each other really well and there are a number of intricate details including the engine and other brick built items under the hood, side exhaust, and detailed seats and dash. I really like the appearance of how the curved arches are implemented throughout the design, both on the body and the wheel wells. I am not sure that I will purchase this particular set as it is not exactly in my line of interest, but is looks like an amazing set overall.

What are your thoughts on the newest LEGO Ideas set? Will you be purchasing a Caterham Seven 620R? Leave a comment below!

15 Years Later: September 11, 2001 Never Forget

 

It has been fifteen years since September 11, 2001 and the events that followed. The United States of America has not forgotten the agony and pain that was felt all across the nation that day, and just about every person who was alive then can tell you where they were on that Tuesday when they heard the news about what was happening. For me, I remember being in the living room and watching the news on the television with my mom, not fully understanding what was happening, but knowing that what was happening was not good.

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to the Brick Universe convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but more on that at a later time. Right now, I want to highlight something I saw there, two breathtaking models. One of the Twin Towers and the other of One World Trade Center both created by Rocco Buttliere. These LEGO models were a reminder to me of the trials that the United States has gone through as a nation, throughout history, on September 11, 2001, and even in recent times. Yet despite the many trials and struggles we have experienced, the United States has come through, not because we are better, not because we are stronger, but because we have turned to and trusted in God. On the fifteenth anniversary of this fateful day, my thoughts and prayers are with the survivors of 9/11and their families, the first responders who responded during and after the planes struck as well as with their families, with the many families who lost loved ones, and with the service men and women and their families who make tremendous sacrifices so that we can live in a free country. To all of you I want to say a deep and heartfelt "Thank you". I will never know the pain of your loss or the sacrifices that you and your loved ones have made.

 

As we remember the events of September 11, 2001 and the effect they have had on this nation, let us also remember that we are "One Nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all." (4 United States Code §4. Pledge of allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery) Let us not forget the principles that our Founding Fathers stood for, and founded this country upon, among them that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." (The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, July 4, 1776). Let us come together to stand for these principles which our Founding Fathers, and so many after them, have stood for, and even died for so that we might enjoy living under these principles now.

The Bush Plane LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
This project is a bush plane created by norweasel and modeled after a Piper PA-18 Super Cub. Piper Aircraft introduced the Super Cub in 1949, and there have been around 15,000 produced during two production runs since then, the first being 1949-1983 and the second 1988-1994. Unlike many planes today, the Super Cub used the "rag and tube" method of design, meaning the plane had a steel tube frame with fabric stretched across the structure. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
This Piper bush plane is a designed beautifully from a geometric standpoint as it captures the features of the Piper Super Cub nicely. In fact, I think this LEGO Piper is aesthetically pleasing from every angle. The color scheme is integrated into this design well, and is a good representation of how the Piper planes are sometimes colored (though I will forever think of Piper planes being yellow because of the movie "End of the Spear"). The way the dark orange sticks out among the overall whiteness of the model adds some nice contrast without looking out of place.

I really like the use of both a molded piece and a brick-built method for making the tail of this plane. It really captures the correct shape that is unique to Pipers. The fuselage is streamlined well, with a nice gradual taper into the tail while there is a steeper curve towards the nose of the plane, both of which are captured nicely using the SNOT technique. More details of the SNOT technique can be seen on the project page by checking out the pictorial building instructions.

Another feature of this aircraft that sticks out to me is the floats. I like the use of the LEGO Technic pieces going from the fuselage to the floats. They provide a good sturdy structure and do not look out of place. But my favorite part about the floats are the modified plate pieces with the angular extension (61406pb03) at back. This is generally a piece that is not very useful, and I think norweasel has found a way to integrate this piece so that it blends in with the model.

Areas for Improvement
There are a couple minor things that I think could improve this model. First, I would like to see the front propeller be able to spin freely. The building technique used currently allows the prop to be positioned nicely without moving, but it does not allow it to rotate freely, which is a downside to me. Second, I think it would be nice to see the bracing so many Piper Super Cubs have under the wings, in order to bring a little bit more accuracy to an already amazing build.

Conclusion
Overall, this is a beautiful model of a Piper Super Cub, and I believe it would make a nice set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of norweasel.

Second Planned Update to LEGO Ideas

The LEGO Ideas Team just announced the second of three planned updates to the LEGO Ideas site. You can read more about it below as it is posted on the LEGO Ideas blog.

Here are my thoughts on the changes:

• I am a really like the new filters on the Discover page. Generally, I prefer to support the "original" projects on LEGO Ideas better than the IP themed ones, so it is nice to be able to have this additional filter.
• The trending this week filter is a nice feature, though I am not sure right now how much I will use it. I guess that will be something that I will find out with time.
• It is nice to see the staff picks by date now instead of how they were formally organized alphabetically, which made is slightly annoying to find a recent staff pick.
• The new Discover page search engine weeks much better than the old search method, and it will make it much easier to find projects after they are no longer at the top of the display for the "recently added" filter option.
• The new member search (and new display method) is much more streamlined and seems to be much easier to use in addition to being much more aesthetically pleasing.
• I have never really paid attention to the tags on a project in the past, so I will have to explore the clickable tags option to see how useful it will be in the long run. Initially, it is a novelty to click on the tags and see what projects come up, but I am sure that will wear off with time.

Finally, the change that I am most excited about is the change to the project milestone timelines. New projects now have 60 days to reach 100 supporters before they expire. If a project reaches 100 supporters in 60 days, it receives 365 additional days (this is what projects used to start out with) and then the milestones for an additional 182 days remain at 1,000 supporters and again at 5,000 supporters.

This is a change that many of the more frequent LEGO Ideas users have been asking for for quite a while. The goal is that this will help reduce the projects that are of a lower quality or are not as popular by causing them expire sooner, allowing the better projects to rise to the top. I am looking forward to seeing how this change in particular enhances the LEGO Ideas user experience and how it helps shine the spotlight on some of the stronger projects.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the second planned LEGO Ideas update.

Posted on September 8, 2016 on the LEGO Ideas blog:

Today marks the second of three planned updates to LEGO Ideas this fall, aimed at improving the experience by analyzing your survey feedback and comments, our user experience testing, and conversations with many of you at LEGO fan events.

Here’s a list of updates:

• New Discover page filter for Project Category lets you choose to view only “original” projects, only projects based on third-party intellectual property (IP), or both. Choose “Original” if you don’t want to see projects based on movies, games, brands, etc. Original will show you projects based on existing LEGO playthemes like Ninjago, Friends, or Classic Space, as well as all those completely original concepts by LEGO Ideas members. These are filtered based on how members classify their own projects when asked about IP before submitting. If you happen to see a project incorrectly categorized, let us know by email while we work our way through the new filtered lists ourselves to check for any mistakes.
• New Discover page Trending This Week filter. This works just like Trending this Month, but for the week.
• Discover page Staff Picks view now sorts projects by Staff Pick date. This should be more intuitive for frequent visitors. Before, this view sorted by the date the project was posted.
• Goodbye, Search page, hello Discover page. We “fixed” the search bar in the site header to load the Discover page which allows you to filter and sort your results.
• Member search moves to the Community page. We improved the Leaderboard so it now behaves like the Discover page; you can search for members and sort results by several parameters.
• Tags are now clickable! Open a project and scroll down to the tags. Click one and the Discover page will load with the tag added to the filter.

Changes to Supporter Milestones and Targets

The biggest change is a Guidelines update we’ve applied to all projects starting today.

We’re attempting to balance making LEGO Ideas as open as possible to members with a range of skill levels, with peoples’ desire to browse and support beautifully presented models. We consistently hear from people who want to see more projects they think are “high quality” and fewer they think are “low quality.” We say think, because quality is highly subjective. This feedback persists even when our moderators filter out the majority of submissions for not meeting our Project Quality Standards.

The most successful Ideas projects—those that reach 5,000 and 10,000 supporters—share one thing in common: every one of these projects posted since LEGO Ideas launched in April 2014 reached 100 supporters in their first 30 days. No project that has gone on to reach 5k or 10k supporters has taken longer. It could very well be that the “wisdom of crowds” is the best quality filter of all. We’ve decided to let you tell us which projects are high quality by doing what you do best: supporting your favorite projects.

Starting today, projects will have 60 days to reach their first 100 supporters before receiving time extensions.

• New projects will now have 60 days to reach 100 supporters. Once they reach that milestone, they’ll receive a one-year boost. The six-month boosts at 1,000 and 5,000 remain the same.
• Existing projects with less than 100 supporters have had their Days Left clock adjusted to 60. We’ve left an Official Comment on the affected projects letting them know.

While in the short term we’re adjusting the Days Left on some projects down, the change grants new projects an additional 60 days beyond the current two years to reach 10,000 supporters.



Why did you remove Days Left from existing projects?

We decided to put projects with fewer than 100 supporters on an even playing field with new projects. Otherwise, we would wait a year before seeing the full benefit of the new expiration deadlines.

How many projects were affected?

Approximately 58% of the 5,500 active projects have had their Days Left counter reset to 60. Had we set the threshold to 30 days, 66% of projects would have been effected. These percentages are based on a sampling of active projects as of July 24.

What happens if my project expires?

If your project expires before reaching 100 supporters, we encourage you to improve your idea, re-submit it, and sharpen your promotion skills to get the support you need.

Want 100, 1,000 or even 10,000 supporters?

As always, success is ultimately in your hands, which is why we always encourage you to focus on a high quality presentation and promoting your projects to a broad audience outside the online LEGO fan community. If you don’t know where to start, learn from the Ideas members who have done just that. Check out these tips on getting a project to 10k:

• Ghostbusters fan creator Brent Waller wrote a dedicated guest blog post with advice for an effective project.
• You don’t have to spend 10 years developing your project like Angus MacLane did. Watch a video interview with the WALL·E fan designer, and check out Angus’ interview on the LEGO Ideas blog.
• Focus on promotion. Doctor Who fan designer Andy Clark says it took as much work promoting his project to reach 10,000 supporters as it did designing.
• Glen Wadleigh and Ellen Kooijman (The Big Bang Theory) break down their promotion techniques in detail on this video, starting at 2:58.

On behalf of the team, we’re pleased to bring you this update and hope you enjoy the improvements to the LEGO Ideas site. We’re looking forward to the third and final planned 2016 site update coming next month.

Update and Ideas Logo curtsey of LEGO Ideas website.

Pirate Ship Ride LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
This Pirate Ship Ride, created by Project GBK, is a fairground themed ride designed to go alongside sets 10247 Ferris Wheel and 10244 Fairground Mixer. This ride offers a thrilling adventure and the ship ride of a lifetime, that is, if the minifigures riding do not get seasick. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
This project is very realistic in appearance, looking very much like a swinging ship ride one would see in an amusement park or someplace similar. Everything, from the elevated platform for getting on the ride, to the operator's booth, to the appearance and detailing of the ship itself, appears genuine; even the fences around the base of the ride and the brick-built sign up above look like they belong. The ship itself has numerous details at both the bow and the stern (front and back for you land lovers) including a cannon, treasure chest, and captain's cabin. On the main deck portion of the ride there are plenty of seats for any minifigure who is brave enough to venture aboard, though be wary, for it appears there are a few minifigures who wish they had stayed on solid land.

Underneath the raised platform there are a couple of windows where the ship riders can stop by to purchase a souvenir to remind them of their voyage or some tasty food to snack on. However, they might want to think about waiting until after the ride so they do not lose their cookies while swinging back and forth. I especially like how the front walls of the souvenir shop and refreshment kiosk swing open to reveal the interior, allowing access for increased playability. Off to the side, there is a little display with a mini model of the pirate ship where riders can have their picture taken with a couple of minifigures dressed as a seagoers.

Another feature that I really like is the ability to add a Power Functions motor to this model so that it can operate hands-free. This helps increase both the display value to collectors and adds another option relating to playability for children. I appreciate the time spent coming up with the design to make this ride operate. As shown in the video below, there is a cleaver gear system that spins a rubber wheel under the ship, accelerating it from one side to the other.

Areas for Improvement
The area for improvement that sticks out the most to me is in regard to the number of minifigures included. It may be fine to include this many minifigures in a MOC, but for a LEGO Ideas project that is seeking to become a set, I think the number of minifigures should be around what one would expect to come in a set of this size. To me, that number would probably be around 8 or so minifigures. Right now, it just looks too crowded, both on the ride and on the stairs and platform leading to the ride.

Conclusion
This is a very well designed build, and I believe that it would make a wonderful set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of Project GBK.